ABSTRACT
Throughout our existence, trans and nonbinary (TNB) people and non-conformers with other names have striven for a place of visibility and equity. The long-standing history and status quo of TNB exclusion from every aspect of life, including but not limited to anti-‘cross-dressing’ laws, employment, housing, health care, and bathroom discrimination, as well as discrimination within our own communities has not just ‘gotten better’ on its own; utilizing our intelligence, creativity, and perseverance, we have devised numerous methods of survival while highlighting our struggles and successes. Our continued success lies in our community-centered fight for sustained change and victory, as well as in honoring those who have previously broken from the pack to ensure our voices are heard, that our lives are valued. This chapter focuses on momentous events/people in TNB history which have elicited monumental legal, social, and cultural changes. The examples highlighted in this chapter provide a necessary spotlight on the endeavors of TNB people, as well as to elucidate the continuous need to address the challenges of being seen as ‘other’ or expendable. In a chapter that intentionally invokes an unconventional format in academic writing, we ask variations of the following: What makes a community or set of communities? What has this looked like in the past? What might it and justice look like in the future, and how can we collaborate to get there?
