Episode 29: Cat Like a Cat
All of Cat’s things (you know, his *stuff*—his beliefs and interests and passions) can account for his identity—but only one part. We’re increasingly pressured to parcel ourselves up in various social contexts, but identity is complex. It’s this complicated, biological pizza and we show different slices of ourselves at different times. Cat navigates his transgender identity by indulging in his community to connect with stories that go beyond his own. Being transgender is just another way of being human, and the beauty within that is that it can mean whatever you want it to mean.
For the Love of Climbing is brought to you by deuter USA, Gnarly Nutrition, Allez Outdoor, First Ascent Coffee, Vibram, and presented by Patagonia.
Music by: Kakurenbo and Chad Crouch. A HUGE thank you to Chad Crouch and Skyler Kergil for creating absolute magic, and to Peter Darmi for mixing this episode.
Cover photo by Kika MacFarlane.
Catch up on podcast (pod-Kath?) updates and general life things: @inheadlights
This podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Because therapy is for everyone.
FLC is public media which means we’re supported by listeners like you. Donate or become a patron.
EPISODE TRANSCRIPT:
(KATHY KARLO): This podcast is presented by Patagonia. Not bound by convention, Patagonia’s in business to save our home planet.
- We get support from First Ascent Coffee. What if you could have the perfect cup outdoors and didn’t have to settle for grocery store instant? With their commitment to keep jobs within a rural community, they source and roast beans, brew up a big batch, and freeze-dry it all under one roof in Crested Butte, CO.
Use promo-code “climbinglove” and we will know that you are supporting us in that way, and get 20% off handcrafted instant coffee and whole bean subscription. That’s “climbinglove” at firstascentcoffee.com, good through March 2022. First Ascent connects you with all the hands who bring you coffee, from seed to cup.
- This podcast is sponsored by deuter, one of the leading backpack brands that will help you hit the trails with confidence and comfort, but most importantly–your snacks.
deuter has a history of first ascents and alpine roots. Their head of product development even climbed Everest once, in jeans (hashtag not fake news.) deuter is known for fit, comfort, and ventilation. Founded in 1898, deuter believes in good fitting backpacks, so you can focus on way cooler things like puppies, pocket bacon, and gettin’ sendy, whether at the crag or in the alpine.
(FEMALE VOICE): Today we’re going to talk about “allez”. “Allez” means “come on!” in a way, or to encourage. Ok! We are done with the simple and normal uses of “allez”, now let’s cut to the chase:
(KATHY KARLO): Allez Outdoor Personal Care products are made by climbers for those who love the outdoors. Their rich and repairing ingredients for their skincare collection are inspired by desert landscapes, and their simple and recyclable packaging makes them eco-sustainable. Allez commits to protecting the open spaces that we love by partnering with the Access Fund and 1% for the Planet. That’s Allez Outdoor: “A-L-L-E-Z”). Allez Outdoor—made by climbers, for those who love the outdoors.
– This podcast gets support from Gnarly Nutrition, one of the leading protein supplements that tastes “whey” better than they need to, because they use quality natural ingredients. So, whether you’re a working mom who runs circles around your kids on weekends or an unprofessional climber trying to send that 5.13 in the gym, Gnarly Nutrition has all of your recovery needs.
The only question you need to ask yourself is: Are you a sucker for anything that tastes like chocolate ice cream? (Yeah, me neither.) Gnarly Nutrition is designed to enhance your progress—and taste like a milkshake, without all the crap.
(CAT RUNNER): So—
(laughs)
(KK): —or is it “Louisville”?
(CR): So, it’s not “Louisville”. The proper way to say it is if you have a mouthful of water, so it’s “Loo-a-ville”.
(KK): “Loo—a-ville”.
(CR): Yeah! So, you take out a lot of syllables and just say it real fast, like—“Loo-a-ville”. And then, whenever you’re on a flight, it’s like, “Welcome to ‘Lou-ee-ville’. It’s like, “Ok! I mean, you’re there. Ish. But—“Loo-a-ville”. I don’t know. Something’s taken away from it if you don’t remove something.
It’s a lot more quiet with the pandemic. We usually have a pretty vibrant downtown scene and a new gentrified e-commerce neighborhood type-a-thing. But the Highlands have a lot of bars and restaurants and it’s very, I don’t know—liberal, hip, lots of art. But I have lived in Louisville—
“Loo-a-ville”.
“Luh-a-ville”.
—all my life. I was adopted from China when I was thirteen months old. My dad was born and raised here, my mom moved when she was, I think, a teenager—‘cause she went to high school here and that’s how they met. And I’m adopted and raised, I guess—
(KK): Ok! I like that.
(CR): —more accurately.
(drifts off)
And I like it! It’s very home-y. And it’s a place where a lot of people will move away as young adults or for other adventures and everything, but when it’s time to start a family, a lot of people like to come back. And there’s a certain feel and culture to it, and a lot of people’s families still live here and they wanna live with their families or, you know, it’s just—it’s a place to return to.
(KK): Cat Runner and I met in the Red last fall, and I stopped by Louisville in the spring on my way back out west. We couldn’t mention Louisville without acknowledging the life and loss of Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old Black woman who was fatally shot and killed in her Kentucky apartment on March 13th of 2020.
Breonna was an ER technician, a daughter, a girlfriend, and beloved sister, and she became a permanent symbol of the Black Lives Matter movement. Over one year later, we still say her name because her life mattered.
Louisville is also where Cat calls home. His pronouns are he, him, his, and he’s a climber, photographer, and most recently, the first transgender athlete to appear on American Ninja Warrior.
(CR): I’ve been to Utah once, but I haven’t done a lot out west. I’ve been to different places in California a few times. So, Los Angeles a few times and San Francisco—and I really like San Francisco. If I could live anywhere regardless of price in the U.S., I would love to live in the Bay Area. But I haven’t climbed out west and I’ll do it. Right now, I’ve—
(laughs)
—I’ve climbed outside of the Red, which is pretty big. And then, I’ll make it to the New River Gorge at some point. I’d like to do ropes down in Tennessee, ‘cause I’ve only bouldered down in Tennessee. And just kind of do more outdoor climbing. But I will make it and climb out west—one day in the future.
And this past fall, we were really lucky, and actual fall weather didn’t come until really late and the temperatures were great. But it’s always really sad when you are down in the Red and you have people who have come from out of town or come, literally—internationally and they are getting the worst weather you’ve ever seen. Now, we’re in the spring season that lasts two weeks. We’re already out of spring weather, but we’re hitting the spring rain where it just hails on you. And then into the lovely humidity.
But that’s what’s really hard is like, fall season for the Red is also fall season for the New, but it’s so hard to drive those extra four hours because you’re so close to the Red. And also, because you’re so close to the Red, it’s really easy to bail if the weather gets bad. Because it’s just two hours to drive back home. But—
(laughs)
—if you drive fast, it’s an hour and a half to the rest stop and then, the thirty minutes to the crag—
(KK): (laughs)
(CR): —so—
(drifts off)
(KK): You’re listening to For the Love of Climbing Podcast. This is not a climbing podcast. Well, sorta. This is a funny, sad, and somewhat uncomfortable podcast about choosing vulnerability and talking openly about our pain. This podcast is presented by Patagonia. Here’s the show.
(KK): Hey, a quick heads up. This episode contains brief mention of mutilation and human trafficking at minute twenty-two. We also wanted to mention that we talk extensively about adoption, which can be a trigger for some. There’s also a list of transgender resources at the end of the episode, as well as more in the show notes on the website. Visit fortheloveofclimbing.com to read the full transcript.
A huge thank you to singer, songwriter, and transgender activist Skylar Kergil.
(CR): (pauses)
Ok. I’m always really shit at introducing and I’m terrible at, you know, the biography statements. I’m terrible at it. Um, I’m Cat. I rarely ever say my last name.
Hi, my name is Cat.
(makes funny, awkward sound)
I’m Cat?
(laughs)
Uhh—hi, my name is Cat Runner. It feels so weird!
(laughs)
(KK): “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other would smell just as sweet.” I mean, Juliet was onto something in the 1500s. And call it what you want, but it doesn’t change someone’s innate attributes. Names are definitely important, but they’re not the only connection to someone’s identity and individuality.
Cat is a lot of things, just like all of us. Things like his beliefs and interests and passions can account for his identity—but just one part. We’re increasingly pressured to parcel ourselves up in various social contexts and packaging, but identity is so complex. It’s this complicated, biological pizza and we show different slices of ourselves at different times.
Lebanese-French author Amin Maalouf described identity as the “genes of one’s soul”, the pizza toppings to our lives. And I don’t care what anybody says—cheese is not a topping.
(CR): Yeah, it’s strange ‘cause it’s like, my identity and it’s usually just like, “Hi, my name is Cat.” and I don’t ever necessarily say, “I’m also trans.” Because it’s not something that you just say to everybody. But depending on if they know me from somewhere or if they know my social media, then they might already know. But statements like that are weird. It’s like, ‘cause I’m a photographer, I’m an athlete, I rock climb, I do obstacle course races—but I’m also trans and that’s a major part of my identity.
But how do you slip that in, in a way that doesn’t feel weird? Because it is one of those situations where you have to kind of navigate and figure out for yourself, “Am I safe to disclose this?”—‘cause then, it can also open up a whole buncha questions about—“Oh, now we’re going onto a conversation that I wasn’t ready for,” or it might not even be important in the sense of how you introduce yourself, ‘cause it’s not always contextually necessary.
So, it’s like, if I’m going into it, I know I’ve got my statements and it’s very case-by-case because I think it’s one of those things where, with the trans identity right now, it’s changing about how some people see and recognize trans identities. But at the very basis of a definition of what it means to be trans is that you don’t identify as the gender you were assigned at birth. And that can change the way that people perceive you and it can put you in danger, it can change your safety.
Because now, all of a sudden—and it depends on who you’re talking to and how they kind of, I don’t know, absorb this information that they’re talking to someone who’s trans. But there are little micro-aggressions of transphobia when you’re trying to pick out things in their face or their clothing or their mannerisms that don’t necessarily fit with this gender identity that they have now presented themselves as.
And those, are in fact, micro-aggressions because it means that because they have said that they’re trans—they’re inherently hiding something. And it changes the way that people react and look at you, and how they see you as a person.
(KK): Even though we’ve talked about micro-aggressions before, if you aren’t the one experiencing them, it can be easy to forget that they even exist. These discriminations can be broken down into four categories, micro assaults being the most overt. Then you have micro insults, which are sneaky little bastards that come with a subtle backhanded compliment. Like, if you’ve ever heard somebody say, “You’re the whitest [insert ethnicity here] person I know!” Weird, right? And insulting. Every time. Like, that’s just never not insulting.
And then you have micro invalidations, which tend to be more direct in the sense that they try to undermine someone’s experience. “Oh, you’re just overreacting,” or “You’re being too sensitive,”—basically anything denying that something offensive even took place. We like to call that “racial gaslighting” and it’s fucked up, manipulative, and definitely a form of emotional abuse—even if you don’t realize that you’re doing it.
And finally, environmental microaggressions pertain to what message a person’s environment says to them—like a child growing up and seeing only cis white people on TV. Or even in rock climbing, where the mainstream narrative of our sport has realistically, only become more open to diversity and inclusion in the last decade.
So, the question is: are microaggressions the same thing as racism, sexism, and/or homophobia? I think that the answer will be different depending on who you ask. And as much as we want to see more underrepresented communities being uplifted, there’s still a fine line between elevating and tokenizing.
Tokenism has become sort of the quick bandaid solution to a systemic problem, but it can also be another form of microaggressions. Saying “I’m not racist because my wife is Black!” or expecting BIPOC to speak on diversity efforts without giving them a real leadership role—tokenism is about inserting diversity because it doesn’t actually value the work or person, just what they represent.
(CR): This is a major part of my identity, but it’s not my identity as a whole. And my trans identity isn’t the reason why I’m also a climber. I’m not the trans climber. I’m not the trans photographer. I’m not the trans athlete. It’s something that separates me and makes me special, but my performance or my abilities as an athlete or as a climber isn’t because I’m trans.
But we’re still in that phase where transgender people are—oh god, I hate to say—they’re tokenized. So, I do play the “trans card” sometimes. But it’s the whole thing about how that’s even a card to play. It’s like, and how people capitalize off of your story. And it does separate me. I have a different point of view of things and I’ve had different experiences, and it snowballs into this thing where that is who you become and your transgender identity is solely what people know you as—and that’s all they see. So, I don’t disclose it all the time—because it’s not necessary.
And, “Ooh, you’re different. We want you—this is gonna give you a leg up.” And how do you navigate that? Because there is that level of possible imposter syndrome. And it’s like, am I here because of my ability to do something, or I am here because I am the diversity that they wanted? I have very bad imposter syndrome and it’s something that I’m growing from and I’m navigating, and a lot of it comes from my Chinese identity and growing up as a transracial adoptee.
I’m a tran—
I am a transracial a—
(laughs)
I’m a transracial adoptee, which means I was born in China and I’m Chinese—ethnically. And then, I was adopted by white parents and pretty much raised the way that a white child would be. I had mainly white friends and the association with white privilege.
And I’ve spent a lot of time, especially with the recent anti-Asian hate crimes, sort of figuring out more about what my transracial adoptee identity means to me and sort of the relationship with that identity and the relationship with my Chinese heritage identity. Because I realized that they are different—they’re separate.
Being transracial—it’s very strange. And I relate to it kinda similarly to my transgender identity. And things are changing. Representation in media is changing, which is exciting to see and it’s exciting to be a part of, as someone who works in film industry and the photography industry.
And it’s exciting to see representation expand. Because I grew up watching white kids on white shows, looking at white magazines. Like, we all love Troy Bolton and Zac Efron and that’s who we all aspired to be and—or, at least, I aspired to be.
And it has been interesting to find the balance between understanding what things my Chinese genetics and heritage give me and the things that I want that were associated with what I grew up with—mainly white things and white culture.
So, it’s understanding how your hair is different and understanding that I do not, in fact, have a high nose bridge—I have a low nose bridge, and figuring out what glasses work for you and what glasses don’t work for you.
I got glasses in the seventh grade and all throughout high school, I wore contacts because the only glasses I could pick from were the ones with the nose pads. And, for young kids, they were traditionally the boxy glasses that I associated with Asian people because they had the nose pads and they could sit on your face the way glasses were supposed to.
And I wore contacts all throughout high school because I didn’t like those glasses—not only for their look, but it bothered me having a clear line in the middle and then, being able to look above and below my glasses and it be blurry. That just messes with you, and it’s very irritating.
But specifically, I did not like the way they looked. And I always wanted the plastic, thick-rimmed glasses that would not fit because they did not have nose pads. They were just the plastic ones that fit on people who aren’t Asian—people who have high nose bridges. Those glasses.
And then, when I finally found glasses that had nose pads, I started wearing glasses again—and I loved it. And now, I feel weird when I put in contacts because there’s some sort of identity change, and I think it’s because I genuinely like the way that I finally like the glasses that I have and the way that I look in the glasses.
(KK): For the record, as someone who has worn glasses since the third grade and remembers those nose pads—this is relatable content. But something else that was relatable for me, and for a lot of other transracial adoptee kids, is that feeling you get when you look in the mirror—and you don’t feel how you look.
The transracial adoption paradox that confronts racial and ethnic minority children is that they’re so Americanized and are perceived and treated as such, but the reality is that they’re not. Like, never one hundred percent.
(CR): I still have this weird thing where when I look in the mirror, I feel like I don’t look Asian. I know I look Asian, but it’s also, it’s a very strange incongruence. And I didn’t grow up in Chinese heritage or around a whole bunch of Asian people. And I know I look Asian to everybody else and Chinese to everybody else, but when I look at myself, I’m like, “Well—I don’t feel like I look Asian.” And it’s a very strange experience.
And I remember when I went to when see Crazy Rich Asians came out—this was the first major Western distributed movie starring Asian people. And the other one that I grew up with was Mulan, but it’s animated and, you know, animation—
(KK): And dragons don’t talk.
(CR): —and dragons don’t talk! But, when I saw Crazy Rich Asians, I just remember watching it and like, “Wow. What an experience it would have been to grow up and see people who look like me reflected on screen, but is this something that I’m allowed to celebrate, as a transracial adoptee? It’s like, these are people that look like me, but also, there is that separation of, “These aren’t necessarily my people,” and there’s a weird discomfort there.
And figuring out what my transracial identity and Chinese heritage mean to me, I’ve realized recently that I’m very proud to be a Chinese adoptee. I’m very proud to be a transracial adoptee. And my adoptee identity is something that I love, I’m proud of, it’s a major part of my story.
But somehow, my adoptee identity got separated from my Chinese heritage when I was growing up, and it got associated where everything I was proud of and who I was becoming became associated with my transracial adoptee identity. I was very proud of that. And then, all of the negatives—the reasons why I got picked on, the reasons why I felt bad, the reasons why I felt isolated or separated got associated with my Chinese identity. So, it’s not something that I’m necessarily connected to.
And—it’s sad. ‘Cause I didn’t realize that until very recently that I don’t have a great relationship with my Chinese heritage. And I went through a lot of mental health changes, mental health growth, in high school and college. And high school, specifically, was a very, very difficult time for me. Here I am. I know how I look on the outside. And stereotypes are held to people who look like me.
It sounds dumb when you say it out loud, but you’re trying so hard to fit in with this heritage that you’ve never been raised to necessarily be a part of—even though you are still held to that heritage. And then, I remember very specifically in high school when I didn’t have great grades. And I’m like, “Fuck,” I was like, “Damn. I’m failing my race. I’m failing what a Chinese person should be.”
So, that added negatively to the feelings I had revolving around my Chinese heritage. ‘Cause it’s like, I have all these negative feelings and it’s because of these reasons—it’s because I’m Chinese. And then, I remember this person, I highly doubt knew that I was adopted; they just knew that I was Chinese. But in fifth grade, there was this kid who repeatedly would just tell me I was from the Chinese baby-making factory—and that’s a problem.
And I didn’t recognize it as bullying at the time, and that is something that I obviously still remember and it has made an impact—because I’m most likely a product of China’s one-child policy.
I was a part of the surge of international adoptions when they opened international adoptions. And I have very strong opinions on anything related to the one-child policy. And I don’t know what you’re reading, but the Chinese government did not help new parents. They weren’t giving them money to raise kids. They weren’t giving them education. It was literally—you are not allowed to have another kid.
And so much trauma has come from it. And now, China’s facing the backlash of it. They’ve expanded it where you can have two kids now, but there’s this whole generation where, because of Chinese traditions, usually men carry on the family name and carry on the family.
So, most of the adoptees during this time were little girls—because girls weren’t as wanted in Chinese tradition. The men stay and they take care of the parents and the girls become part of their husband’s family. So, if you can only have one child, they were wanting someone who would take care of them.
So, all this trauma came out from it and Chinese girls were being left, they were being mutilated. And when China’s government opened international adoption, this whole human trafficking thing began where families would take children from other families and sell them to the orphanages. And it’s just like, I get very opinionated about anything revolving around China’s one-child policy.
And I love the relationship that I’ve have with my parents. They’ve always supported me and they’ve always been supportive. But I’m an only child and I’ve always wanted a sibling—I always wanted to be a big sibling. And in a lotta ways, there’s something that I’ve always just craved, and you wonder, especially because you don’t necessarily have information about foster homes or Chinese adoptees don’t have information about their time in the orphanage or pretty much before they were adopted.
You wonder, it’s like, “Did I have a relationship in a foster home?” And this is sort of why I look for something or I crave for something—did I maybe have a sibling? And all these questions.
But I’m very thankful for the relationship that I have with my parents. My parents split when I was very young, and my dad’s very much still in the picture. But I live with my mom and I have a closer relationship with my mom. And she asked me several times, “Do you wanna search for your birth parents?”
And I’ve always felt kind of, in terms of the relationship and the love that I have for my parents, that I don’t necessarily need or want that information. I don’t think it would change who I am.
(KK): Today, predominantly white Americans are adopting from over forty countries worldwide. Annual adoption rates have increased over the last decade by more than 50%—Asian adoptees making up for the highest percentage at ninety, and Black infants and children at fifty-five.
These numbers are important considering the first recorded transracial adoption didn’t even take place until 1948. Agencies used to recommend something called “race-matching”, or same-race placement of children with parents. This was primarily because of misunderstanding and stigma around different races.
But with education and more informed preparation, adopting and raising a child outside of cultural and racial heritage and norms has become more standard. But international adoption is still not without controversy or its challenges. And adoption can also be a trans issue, a bi issue—an LGBTQ issue. For some, the challenge is being faced with feeling forced to choose between gender identity or having a permanent home and family.
And on the other end of that spectrum, we’ve also seen sort of a new wave phenomenon suggesting that parents who are willing to adopt can actually be more open to differences in gender identity and have less shame in the fact that their kid may be trans—at least, more so than biological parents and children.
Some trans adoptees find it easier to express their true gender selves since they’re already aware of their adopted status. And, of course, all beings grapple with identity—but adoption can force a deeper look within—at least earlier than most non-adopted children.
(CR): So much of identity is not only how you’re comfortable presenting yourself to the world and how others see you, but how you see yourself. And it’s this hidden little part of identity that I think people internally know, but don’t verbalize very much or don’t necessarily recognize that so much of identity, and this is something that I’ve kind of understood when figuring out my gender identity and how if you wanna stick a label on it, how you navigate which label to pick. And there are two components of it.
There’s what you feel comfortable as the world seeing you as and knowing about you. And then, internally—what you feel comfortable about yourself—and how you wanna present yourself to yourself. And then, I gotta put the bookmarker introduction: everyone has a different experience. It’s expanding, but for so long it was: any transgender story was a one-size-fits-all, and it’s not.
Your story—any story about anything—there may be similarities and that’s what creates a community, but nothing will ever be one hundred percent the same. Even if you had a twin, you all are not the same person, and your experiences and thoughts and relationships are different.
And I grew up in a gender-neutral childhood, which is something that I recognize now looking back at it. And it wasn’t this idea of what we think a gender-neutral childhood should be where pink and blue are banned in the household, and it was very much a childhood where I got to be a child. I got to play with the toys that I wanted to play with and my parents supported that. I played with Legos and I played with Littlest Pet Shops.
Both of them played together, and they mixed—we had Barbies in it, too! We had trucks. I loved water guns and I liked pink things. I liked, it was very much—I got to be a child. So, when I look back at photos. I stopped wearing dresses at four. It was something that I did not want and then, my mom didn’t force on me.
(laughs)
There was this time, I think one of the last times I wore a dress. And I think my grandfather had just died and she’s like, “Please wear something nice. Please wear something girly or a dress.” And we went to the store and I tried it on. And then she looked at me, and then she’s told me now as an adult, “Oh, you looked so miserable. You looked so unhappy,”—because it wasn’t—I wasn’t comfortable in that clothing as myself.
And that’s when it stopped. And if I didn’t wanna wear it or I wasn’t happy, I wasn’t a happy child. And she wanted to have a happy child. I think my dad was happy to have a kid, and he let me do whatever.
(laughs)
And my parents, specifically my mom, recognized that I was more happy when I got to feel comfortable in whatever I was wearing or whatever I was doing. So, growing up, there wasn’t this aggressive gender-role thing in my household. I knew from the outside world and then, things that I retracted to and terminology and the way people spoke, that there was a separation between girls—and boys. But I didn’t necessarily know what that meant and what that entailed. Growing up, I was giving the usual monocorn label as a “tomboy”—and it was something that I liked!
Now that I’m older, I can definitely verbalize a lot better. I didn’t have terminology and I didn’t know that I was trans from a young age because—one, I didn’t have the terminology. I didn’t know what transgender was until I was fifteen and I had access to the internet.
But it was also, I wasn’t under this sort of internal discomfort and scrutiny that some other trans people can experience—I was just being a kid, and I wore shorts and when I stopped wearing traditional girl’s bathing suits—that was just something that I didn’t wear. And that’s what it was, and not this aggressive, toxic sort of turn-off when I was attracted to something that didn’t fit with my gender or the gender that I was presenting as at the time, which was a girl.
(KK): Cat makes a definitive decision about his gender and comes out to his mom, after this short break.
- We’re working with Better Help to connect you to licensed therapists. They’ll match you with the perfect therapist for a fraction of the cost of traditional therapy. You know who goes to therapy? Prince Harry. Emma Stone. Jenny Slate. Kesha. Therapy is beautiful—everyone should go to therapy. Go to betterhelp.com/climbing to sign up and receive 10% off your first month. It helps support this show, and it helps support you.
- Even though we say it in different ways, our message is the same: Climbing is our home.
(FEMALE VOICE): Community is rock solid.
(NON-GENDERED VOICE): People I like, feel connected to.
(FEMALE VOICE): The support and love.
(MALE VOICE): Human connection—that’s what we’re all striving for.
(FEMALE VOICE): That’s what climbing is to me—it’s magic.
(KK): Whether we do it to find connection within ourselves, with each other, with the land, or for the food (ok, it’s kind of always about the food)—climbing shapes us as individuals and a collective. These are the voices that make up a community; the ones that call us back home.
(FEMALE VOICE): What has climbing taught you?
(FEMALE VOICE): Uhh—
(MALE VOICE): Climbing’s taught me—
(FEMALE VOICE): Climbing has taught me—
(MALE VOICE): —taught me to be patient, ‘cause you know, great things take time.
(FEMALE VOICE): I wake up, and I think about climbing—
(MALE VOICE): What’s the real reason that you climb?
(FEMALE VOICE): —I go to sleep thinking about climbing.
(FEMALE VOICE): The crag food.
(FEMALE VOICE): —all of the food.
Each climber’s voice is a point of contact into the broader community. Connect with more stories and check out Patagonia’s climbing apparel that’s built to move and built to last at Patagonia.com/climbing.
- Everything changes. From scientific revolutions to institutional systems of law, every microcosm, every everything. We’re all on this plane of existence in a constant state of evolution, and we’re always learning and enhancing and adapting—and climbing is no exception. I mean, we’re in the Olympics people! But how did we get here?
Vibram breaks down their technology for each discipline, focusing on speed, lead climbing, and bouldering. As different as they are, all three specialties require climbing rubber with the best performance. Check out Vibram athletes in action, like Alex Megos sending Bibliography and Yosemite big wall climber, Babsi Zangerl.
Follow Vibram on Instagram this month as they recount the world of climbing from their side of things—no, literally, like, from the other side of the Atlantic.
(CR): I came out when I was fifteen. I went to a high school that was a really toxic place for me. So much so, that my body was making me sick. I was out a collective month both years. And we went to doctors and we didn’t know what it was—it was just this cough that wouldn’t go away and it was this extreme fatigue. And now, that I can recognize that my body was actually making me sick ‘cause I did not want to go to school.
And during that time, there was a lot of nights I couldn’t sleep and I would dive down the YouTube black hole. And I remember specifically looking up videos of trans masculine people who have transitioned and were documenting their transitions on YouTube. And watching their stories and finding similarities in it and connecting it—it was like a puzzle piece that had been missing the whole time. Like, this is what it means to be transgender and this is something that makes sense for the way I feel.
Because growing up—I knew puberty was gonna happen. It was one of those things where I was not psyched to have breasts. It was one of those things where it’s like, “This something that happens. I guess I’m gonna deal with it.” And I didn’t know that there was another option and that you could have them removed. It was very much like, “Well, they’re gonna grow. I’m not excited about it. I don’t necessarily want them—but I’ll deal with it when it happens.” And it happened.
And I didn’t wear a proper bra since they grew and then, I had top surgery. I wore sports bras—sports bras or really tight compression shirts. And then, I remember getting my period and it—oh, it was terrible. And this is something—“I’m gonna deal with it ‘cause I have to.”
But it wasn’t a mark of excitement like it can be for some other people where it’s like, stepping into womanhood! Stepping into adulthood! It’s growth! And you know, some people get excited about it! And I wasn’t excited about it. It was something that I was gonna deal with and I recognized, “Here’s the rest of my life.”
And then, the trans person that I most connected with in his journey is Skylar Kergil. And he’s a really good friend; we know each other now. And it’s fun in that sense of being able to connect and meet with these people that you look up to and were major players in your story and then, figuring out who you were. And it’s so awesome to call them my friends.
And then, I knew what I wanted. And so, I transitioned within the binary—meaning, I was identifying as a girl, and now I identify as a man. The gender binary means usually referring to male and female—which is embedded in the fabric of our society, which is why so much inclusive trans legislation is very hard to figure out. Because it means if we’re creating truly inclusive policy, we have to go back and re-do everything—which is why it’s so hard.
So, I transitioned within the binary and I knew I was gonna use “he, him” pronouns. I wanted to go on testosterone. I wanted top surgery. Those were the biggest things that I wanted, and they were the major parts of my discomfort. So, I sat on it for two weeks.
I knew what I wanted, and then, I came out to my mom in a coming-out letter. And I was so sure she was gonna be supportive. I knew she was gonna be supportive—but there’s always that little “if”—because you aren’t them; you don’t know. She was amazing and I remember writing it. And I knew exactly what I wanted, but it was kinda saying, “I’m questioning my gender identity.” (—I wasn’t questioning my gender identity, but—) “I’m questioning my gender identity. I’d like to go to a gender therapist and talk it out and figure it out.”
And then, I started going to gender therapy and she found me a therapist. And she started learning, and that’s so important as a support system, is to be an advocate for your own education. Because it’s not going to find you—you must search for it. So, she started learning on her own.
And that was in December. And then, six months later, we went to this conference that she found out in California—in San Francisco. They had actual other trans youth of different levels—and there was a lot of them. And this was the first time that I was around other trans people.
(KK): The conference in California was about to change everything, for both Cat and his mom.
(CR): Going to workshops about dating while trans, testosterone, just informational stuff and community stuff and I’m still friends with the first person I met—and he’s awesome! And I did a lot of things kind of, at that point, as like a comfort thing. ‘Cause I knew my mom was on board to support me, but she still wasn’t sure.
And so, I went in and was like, “He, him pronouns and they, them pronouns,” just as this buffer, sort of, for her that this still wasn’t necessarily something definitive—even though it was. Because I wanted her on this journey with me, and I needed her on this journey with me—but she needed her own time, and I wanted to make sure she was a part of it.
‘Cause she was for sure going through grief, and going through different emotional changes than what I was feeling. And it was important that she was able to go through that and feel that. And for me, it was important that I wasn’t pressuring her to all of a sudden make these sudden changes.
So, I went in with my pronouns listed on my badges: “He, him and they, them.” And then, by the end of it, it was just “he”. ‘Cause that’s what I wanted. And it gave me the safety and space to say, “I use ‘he’ pronouns.”
And I remember on the second day, we were at lunch. She was doing her thing, I was doing my thing. And then, lunch is when everyone kinda ate together. The parents came off their adult track, the teens came off our track. And she pulled me aside and she said, “I think you’ve known what you’ve wanted for a long time, and you’ve been waiting for me. And I want you to know—I’m ready.”
And that was so important and so major, because after meeting the parents of other trans teens and other trans kids and fully understanding what it meant to transition and how important it was for me to transition and what it meant for my identity, she understood her role as a parent and what she needed to do. And it’s something I’ll always remember is when she pulled me aside and she told me that, now, she’s ready.
(KK): Cat and his mom went home after the conference. They told his gender therapist, they found an endocrinologist, and Cat soon had his first shot of testosterone, just one year after coming out. The next steps were figuring out what Cat would need for top surgery, which would involve removing breast tissue and contouring the chest to reflect a flat appearance.
(CR): So, I started testosterone at the end of December, and then, seven weeks later, I was in the hospital recovering from top surgery. And I’m so thankful I was able to go to my first choice of a surgeon and he was great. But I think the hardest part of my transition was the time in between starting testosterone and having top surgery because I had testosterone in my body—it was something I wanted and it felt good.
But before any of the physical changes started happening, there was a major, major mental shift and comfort that I personally felt. And then, I knew top surgery was coming, but it just couldn’t come soon enough. And I had the most dysphoria in my life, which is feelings of unease or discomfort pertaining to your gender.
And I had the worst dysphoria I’ve ever had in my life. I broke down crying at school about it and it was just like, I know I’m having top surgery and I have my date, but the waiting game was so much more intense than the waiting game for testosterone. And I think it was because before I started T, I was just perceived as a prepubescent boy—even though I was sixteen years old. But people perceived me as male.
And not being on testosterone—it bothered me, but it wasn’t as intense as the fact that I still had breasts. It was this physical thing on me that I did not like. And wearing a binder didn’t feel great. Binders are constrictive, they’re hard to breathe in, or they can be hard to breathe in. They’ve gotten a lot better since I had top surgery, but I think I knew that top surgery was going to be this monumental turning point in my transition and my life moving forward.
Because after that, I didn’t have necessarily any more obstacles in how the world perceived me, but specifically, how I perceived myself and how I saw myself—both physically and mentally. And there was a major shift after I had top surgery. There was a major confidence shift.
And then, as I healed, I was able to do things that I hadn’t done in years. I played sports through middle school and then I stopped in high school. And a year later, after I had top surgery, I walked into a climbing gym. So, I’ve been thinking about it a lot, and it’s so important to me because I found climbing right when I was figuring out how I moved through the world. And more so, how the world saw me and the space that I’m allowed to take up.
I love climbing because of the movement. I’m really trying to step away mentally from grades and having grades be a gatekeeper of my ability. Grades are important in that they help you track progress and they can help motivate and push yourself, but I found for myself—they make me feel terrible about my ability and what I’m able to do as a climber more often than feeling over the moon.
It’s like, I love 12c but did you see the movement I did on this other thing? Like, this movement’s so good! And really shift my focus to loving the movement and technique and letting climbing be a celebration of this body and what it can do and all it has taken to be in that spot and doing this thing that I really love.
And I’m in a position where I can safely be out to people around me and out on the internet, and I’m proud to be out because so much of my story comes from my trans identity and I’m very proud of my relationship with it and it’s something that I want people to know about. I’m trans. This is a part about me, it comes with the package.
Climbing is a male-dominated sport. And again, I transitioned from the other side of the binary and I transitioned within the binary. I am held to male privilege and people perceive me as male, out in the world. And I’ve been in kind of a lot of other conversations with trans people about it, and that’s something that you have to kind of figure out is, now if you are perceived as a man, how that changes and it changes how you interact with people and how people interact with you. And it can be a very different change.
I tend to hang around people who support the community and most of the people that I know also know of my trans identity. But one thing that is interesting, and I can’t necessarily speak on it myself because I didn’t identify as a woman in my adulthood and it changes with experience is that, to a certain extent, you understand both sides.
Now, you have male privilege. Now, you identify as male—people perceive you as male. But you also know much more intimately about femininity, and what it’s like to be a girl and identify as a girl and have people perceive you as a girl.
So, if I’m talking about inclusivity, I’m there as a trans person. More as a trans person than, I guess, a man, or something like that. And one of the biggest things that, aside from community, that my trans identity has given me, is—I’m much more aware and attentive of the way the world works and the injustices in the world. And I don’t call myself an activist, but I’m much more aware of the injustices in the world—not only with the trans community but with the Black community and Indigenous community and Brown community.
And I think because of that, I’d like to hope and think that I come with a different point of view. And because I approach everything where you deserve respect, and I wanna make sure that you’re respected if we were ever having a conversation. And so, there are definitely situations where I tread carefully. I’m very careful about stepping on people’s toes. Because I don’t want to hurt anybody.
I don’t know—I think my trans identity has made me more empathetic. And I’d like to hope that I was always empathetic, but I definitely am more in tuned with the way the world works and injustices—and actively trying to learn more and change what I’ve been taught.
And I think there’s always a way that you can connect with someone else’s story. Like, there’s always a way that you can connect with me and my story and become more empathic, even if you’re not trans. Because we are human and we’ve probably experienced some similarity, and you tap into that and you figure out how you felt in those moments. And yes, the feelings are different, but it’s all about making those connections and it will probably not be the same understanding, but it’s finding connections in experiences that you have had.
And, it’s like, something that I’ve thought about is, I don’t know what it’s like to a Black person in this world. But I do know what it’s like to be a trans person in this world, and when I went to do American Ninja Warrior, I was doing it as an out-trans athlete.
And then, the first day I was there, I got a panic attack because they just had to take a picture of us in the outfits that we were gonna wear. And the shirt that I had didn’t out me as trans—it was a shirt that said “trans athletes belong in sport” and could have been something that anyone who wanted to support trans people was wearing. But it’s nerve-wracking, walking around—for myself and the way I felt I was being very openly trans in a place that I’ve never been, around people I didn’t know and I didn’t know what to expect—I wasn’t in a safe space. And I was really nervous about it.
(KK): We recognize the huge detriment that trauma comparison has on healing, as well as progressive thought and change. It can stagnate healing and, whether unintentional or not, diminishes someone else’s suffering. And because every story is unique, no two traumatic events can ever truly be compared. It’s incredibly important to us to clearly state that no person’s experience should invalidate how anybody feels.
(CR): It’s totally, totally different than living as a Black person. But there’s also this level of, I can empathize because as a trans person—and I still feel it. Like, this added level of panic and preparedness. And then, I think—this is something that women can empathize with as well in terms of walking home alone and having a plan. In terms of trans people sort of having a plan about how they’re gonna present and be seen, and then the whole bathroom thing and preparing a plan of which bathroom you can comfortably use, if that does come up.
And there are certain connections where you may not understand the experience one hundred percent, because you can never know what it’s like to be a trans person unless you are trans. There are minute experiences—mainly that you feel internally, and if you don’t have those experiences yourself, then you won’t know what they are.
But you’ve probably had a smilier experience, and that’s where you trade stories and you read stories and—you watch films! And you just learn and indulge yourself in this community, because there will be similarities and things that you can connect to, and then, you can understand it further.
There’s this whole conversation on whether or not you need dysphoria to be trans and how people who don’t feel dysphoria aren’t trans. And as a trans person who did feel dysphoria and does still feel dysphoria, I don’t know what it’s like not to feel it. But as a trans person who has also felt euphoria, I can understand how someone may be trans and not have dysphoria.
Because, and the way that I’ve understood it is, you don’t necessarily have to have negative feelings revolving around something, but you can have positive feelings that override—and you just sorta like, I don’t know—lull? Or I don’t what it’s like so, I don’t—I always feel—this is the whole stepping over toes thing where I don’t want to say it wrong.
But I understand what euphoria feels like. So, feeling pride and empowered and comfortable from testosterone or from dressing masculine, or the other way—dressing feminine, taking estrogen. Or just like, however, you wanna present yourself and not feeling a discomfort or negative reaction from not having those things.
So, I think what you have to do is really kind of just search out stories, because unless if you experience it yourself, you will never know what it’s like. Not one hundred percent. But you can one hundred percent figure out a way to empathize and understand by really kind of immersing yourself in the stories that are being told and listening to trans people or anyone speaking about their community and their experiences—because there are connections.
And your story may not be about your race or your gender, but you felt it somewhere else. And those feelings are there, and if you can figure out and make those connections, then I think that can strengthen your ability to empathize.
I love my identity. And I love who I am and how my identity has helped shaped who I am. And it’s something that, again, I’m in a position where I can safely express my identity. There are still times when I one hundred percent get nervous—that comes down to the disclosure thing of, who do you tell your trans and when is it important? If it’s contextually important, then yes.
When I first started transitioning, I did document on YouTube and you can find those videos. But I switched to documenting on Instagram because, specifically on Youtube, there weren’t any transgender masculine people who were Asian, and the trans people that I found my story in were white.
And, surprisingly, there was a pretty large transmasculine Asian community on Instagram, which was fun to find. But it’s very much about also, representation in that and about, with your genetics—your changes are gonna be different. And when you’re looking for information and trying to anticipate what may happen, it can be really hard when you don’t see yourself, and it can be really frustrating when you don’t see yourself.
(KK): Being transgender is just another way of being human, and the beauty within that is that it can mean whatever you want it to mean.
If you are transitioning, considering transitioning, or questioning your gender identity, there are so many resources available and you’re not alone.
With over 40 chapters crossing multiple generations of families in major urban centers, cities, and rural areas, the Federation of Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays, or PFLAG, is the first and largest organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people, their families, and allies.
Under PFLAG National, Straight for Equality is a national outreach and education program that provides information and resources to help allies understand their role in supporting and advocating for LGBTQ2S communities.
The National Center for Transgender Equality advocates changing policies to increase understanding and acceptance of transgender people. NCTE works to replace discrimination and violence with empathy, opportunity, and justice.
Trans Lifeline is a non-profit dedicated to the well-being of transgender people. Their hotline is staffed for trans people by trans people.
GLAAD, or the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, rewrites the script for LGBTQ2S acceptance and are working to shape the narrative and provoke dialogue that leads to cultural change. GLAAD is inclusive of bisexual and transgender issues.
If you are a youth ages thirteen to twenty-four struggling with gender identity, The Trevor Project offers crisis intervention and mental health services.
If you know someone who has transitioned, is considering transitioning, or is currently struggling with gender identity, learn the signs, the facts, and how you can help prevent suicide. If you are in a suicidal crisis or emotional distress, The Suicide Prevention Lifeline provides free and confidential support 24/7 for those who are struggling. Call 800-273-8255 to speak with someone today. That’s 800-273-8255.
Visit fortheloveofclimbing.com to find out more about these resources, as well as additional resources that aid in transgender rights and visibility.
(CR): I always wanted to share my story and be someone that someone else could find their story within. But even more so, and what’s been so exciting and growing up as a trans person and, specifically, in the last couple years with the rise in trans representation and, it is a revolutionary act for a trans person to openly live as themselves because, by definition, our identity directly defies the gender binary, which is within the fabric of society.
And I’m so thankful for what my trans identity has given me, and how it has really helped me kind of be more in touch with myself and be in touch with the world and understand, not only how I move through the world, but how I want to move through the world—and how I want the world to see me.
(SKYLAR KERGIL): Strangers stare and they want to be the first to
Ask for my life in one word
But it's not that simple
Why do you care to know
Am I a boy or a girl?
But I don't care about the answers
The questions were boring
Please tell me a story
(One, two, three, four)
"What did your mom say?"
"What is your real name?"
"How about those drugs that you take?"
"And does your voice change?"
"How come you don't feel ashamed?"
"What kind of love do you make?"
But you don't care about my answers
Your questions ignore me
Let me tell you a story
Well, alright
Ask me anything you want to
And I will tell you the truth
My mom is my best friend
And this is who I am
All of it adds up to keep me sane
Yes, I've dropped octaves
'Cause I am a mountain range
And any kind of love is good enough to be made
But I don't care about the answers
The questions were boring
Please tell me a story
(KK): Even though I still have no idea what I’m doing—things are happening. And if you’d like to help out and support us, check out patreon.com where you can sponsor us for as little as one cup of bodega coffee. It really helps keep this podcast going, and for the record—we love bodega coffee. Special shout out to Peter Darmi because he makes this thing sound good.
- You’re listening to For the Love of Climbing Podcast. A huge thank you to deuter, one of the leading backpack brands that will help you hit the trails with confidence and comfort. And a big thank you to Gnarly Nutrition for supporting this podcast and the messages that we share. Gnarly Nutrition supports a community of vulnerability and equality—and tastes like a milkshake, without all the crap. A big shout out to Allez Outdoor for supporting the Access Fund and 1% for the Planet. Allez Outdoor Personal Care products are made by climbers for those who love the outdoors. And thanks to Patagonia. Not bound by convention, Patagonia is in business to save our home planet.
Support companies who support this podcast—we couldn’t do it without them. If you liked what you heard, you can leave a review on iTunes or give us a like—like all good things, you can find us on the internet. Until next time.
Additional Resources, and Credible Organizations and Web Sites:
Support Hotlines
National Suicide Prevention Hotline
24/7 hotline, staffed by trained individuals, for those in suicidal crisis or emotional distress
http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/
Crisis hotline: 800-273-TALK (8255); 888-628-9454 (en español)
Crisis Text Line
Free, 24/7 support for people in crisis
https://www.crisistextline.org/
Text 741741 from anywhere in the USA to text with a trained Crisis Counselor
The Trevor Project
Crisis intervention and mental health services for those ages 13-24
http://www.thetrevorproject.org/
Crisis hotline: 866-488-7386 (for those ages 13-24)
Communities Against Hate
National coalition documenting hate incidents
Report an incident at: http://communitiesagainsthate.org/report
Report and get help at: 1-844-9-NO-HATE
Health Care, Insurance and Additional Mental Health Resources
National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)
National network of mental health care providers, as well as a provider database
http://www.nami.org/Find-Support/LGBTQ
Help Line 800-950-6264
National Council for Behavioral Health
National network of community behavioral health centers, as well as a provider database
http://www.thenationalcouncil.org/
Psychology Today Therapist Finder
A list of therapists around North America. Once a city or state is selected, there is a filter for therapists working with transgender clients under the ‘Issue’ area on the left
https://therapists.psychologytoday.com/rms/
RAD Remedy
Community-sourced list of trans-affirming healthcare providers
Out2Enroll
Resources to help transgender people select and enroll in insurance
TransHealth
Health and guidance for healthcare providers, as well as a list of transaffirming health clinics in Canada, the United States, and England.
Transcend Legal
Transcend Legal helps people get transgender-related health care covered under insurance.
TransChance Health
Helps transgender people navigate health care and insurance to receive respectful, high-quality care, and get transition-related care covered
https://www.transchancehealth.org/
JustUs Health
Leads the work to achieve health equity for diverse gender, sexual, and cultural communities in Minnesota, including the Trans Aging Project and a Trans Health Insurance guide
Point of Pride Annual Transgender Surgery Fund
Provides direct financial assistance to trans folks who cannot afford their gender-affirming surgery
https://pointofpride.org/annual-transgender-surgery-fund/
Community Kinship Life Surgery Scholarship
Provides the trans community with assistance while having a sense of community and kinship
http://cklife.org/scholarship/
Transformative Freedom Fund (Colorado)
Supports the authentic selves of transgender Coloradans by removing financial barriers to transition-related healthcare
https://transformativefreedomfund.org/
Kentucky Health Justice Network Trans Health Advocacy
Works to help Trans Kentuckians access the healthcare they need, as well as reaffirm our autonomy and community
http://www.kentuckyhealthjusticenetwork.org/trans-health.html
Legal Resources
ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union)
National civil rights organization with offices across the United States
https://www.aclu.org/about/affiliates?redirect=affiliates
GLAD (GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders)
Legal advocacy for the LGBTQ community
http://www.glad.org/
Lambda Legal
Advocacy and legal support for the LGBTQ community
http://www.lambdalegal.org/
Legal Services Corporation
A nonprofit that provides a directory of civil legal aid for lowincome Americans.
http://www.lsc.gov/whatlegalaid/findlegalaid
NCLR (National Center for Lesbian Rights)
Advocacy and legal support for the LGBT community
http://www.nclrights.org/
Sylvia Rivera Law Project
Legal support and resources for people who are transgender, intersex, or gender nonconforming
http://srlp.org/
Transgender Law Center
Advocacy and legal support for the transgender community
http://transgenderlawcenter.org/
TLDEF (Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund)
Advocacy and legal support for the transgender community
http://tldef.org/
Transcend Legal
Transcend Legal helps people get transgender-related health care covered under insurance.
https://transcendlegal.org/
Transgender Legal Services Network (National Center for Transgender Equality)
Over 60 organizations across the country serving trans communities belong to the Network
http://www.transequality.org/iddocumentscenter/transgenderlegalservicesnetwork
For legal assistance with the name and gender change process on identity documents in your state, please visit NCTE's Identity Documents Center.
Incarceration Resources
Black and Pink
Black & Pink is an open family of LGBTQ prisoners and ‘free world’ allies who support each other.
http://www.blackandpink.org/resources-2/national-prisoner-resource-list/
Immigration, Refugee, Asylum, and International Resources
Transgender Law Center's Trans Immigrant Defense Effort (TIDE)
Provide TGNC immigrants with legal information and connect them to pro bono attorneys and legal service providers
https://transgenderlawcenter.org/programs/tide
National Immigrant Justice Center’s LGBTQ Immigrant Rights Initiative
Provides legal services to low-income immigrants who identify as LGBT and those who are living with HIV.
http://www.immigrantjustice.org/index.php/services/lgbtq-immigrants
Immigration Equality
The nation’s leading LGBTQ immigrant rights organization
http://www.immigrationequality.org/
Human Rights First
Help for people who have fled dangerous situations in their home countries to obtain asylum in the United States.
https://www.humanrightsfirst.org/asylum
Dignity for All: LGBTI Assistance Program
International emergency assistance requests
https://freedomhouse.org/program/dignity-all-lgbti-assistance-program
Arab Foundation For Freedoms And Equality
Emergency response in the Middle East and North Africa
http://afemena.org/contact-us/
GATE
Works internationally on gender identity, gender expression, and bodily issues
https://transactivists.org/about/contact/
Domestic Violence/Abuse Resources
DomesticShelters.org
DomesticShelters.org is a resource list of domestic abuse shelters around the United States.
https://www.domesticshelters.org/
National Coalition of AntiViolence Programs (NCAVP)
National network of service organizations working with LGBTQ people who have been victims of domestic violence
FORGE
FORGE is a national transgender anti-violence organization
http://forge-forward.org/anti-violence/
The NW Network
Organization specializing in providing resources for LGBTQ victims of domestic violence, they have an extensive “resource clearinghouse”
Nutrition and Housing Resources
Feeding America
National Database of Food Banks
http://www.feedingamerica.org/
ShelterListings.org
National database of homeless shelters
http://www.shelterlistings.org/
Employment Services/Advice
Many of the organizations listed under Legal Resources also provide employment discrimination resources and support
Trans Employment Program
San Francisco based employment organization with national resources and connections
http://transemploymentprogram.org/
U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)
Enforces federal protections for LGBT Workers
https://www.eeoc.gov/eeoc/newsroom/wysk/enforcement_protections_lgbt_workers.cfm
Workplace Fairness
Workplace Fairness has a list of guidelines and information for transgender people in the workplace
https://www.workplacefairness.org/genderidentitydiscrimination
Support and Advocacy Resources
CenterLink
A directory of LGBT Community Centers
http://www.lgbtcenters.org/Centers/findacenter.aspx
Department of Justice
List of state and local human rights agencies
https://www.justice.gov/crt/combatingpost911discriminatorybacklash7
Equality Federation
Directory of state-based organizations advocating for LGBTQ people
http://www.equalityfederation.org/members/
TransParent
For parents of trans youth seeking support
http://transparentusa.org/
Veteran Resources
OutServe-SLDN
Legal services, watchdog and policiy organization dedicated to bringing about full LGBTQ equality to America's military and veteran communities.
https://www.outserve-sldn.org
SPARTA
Advocacy organization and supporter network for actively serving transgender military members, veterans, and their families.
https://spartapride.org
TAVA: Transgender American Service Veterans
Advocacy organization that works to ensure transgender veterans receive appropriate care and support.
http://transveteran.org