Simply Being: A Found Poem for the Trans Community From Trans Mental Health Professionals and Trainees

Antitrans legislation and rhetoric have worked to reify structural oppression against gender diversity in the U.S. Mental health and academic institutions have historically used their power to maintain transphobia within counseling and research. The voices of trans and nonbinary community members have seldom received the space to express the experiences of love and joy that they hold, instead being required to justify their existence and need for basic rights. The present study sought to provide that space and centered the lived experiences of trans and nonbinary professionals and students. Trans and nonbinary people working in psychology or allied mental health fields (N = 26) responded to the following prompt: “Given the increase in antitrans legislation and social messages that seek to tell us that we are not loved, please offer a message to members of the trans/ nonbinary community.” Reflexive thematic analysis was used to identify five themes: (1) external oppression; (2) humanity and visibility; (3) trans is beautiful; (4) community and history; and (5) resistance, healing, and imagination. These themes were used to develop a found poem entitled “Simply Being: A Call to Our History and to Our Future.” Implications are drawn for research and the power of poetry, creative methodologies, and diverse epistemologies in advancing trans equity and liberation in the field.