COMMUNITY
TELL US YOUR STORY:
Jason
He/Him
OR WRITE TO US:
I am a poet who studied creative writing at Augustana College. I also enjoy gaming, both table top and video games. I consider myself enjoyable, intelligent, and fun-loving.
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I believe groups like T-MAC are very important for validation in identity. I have been a part of LGBT groups who have overlooked and undermined the struggles of transgender men. Other groups have also pinned me in a hole where my transgender identity is the only thing that matters to the group. I believe groups like T-MAC can help members feel that they have found a community and that they are more than just their transgender identity.
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Frankie
He/Him
Initially, it took a lot for me to finally decide to go to T-MAC. I have been out for a year and on T for almost that long. And it has taken that long for me to come into my own. After 19 years of being an angry and confused person, the freedom I felt when I finally came out was incredible. But with that, I had to struggle to accept who I knew I was. Though I have amazing friends supporting me through my transition, I had few friends I felt comfortable expressing myself around when the topic of gender identity came up. T-MAC has helped me find people that I can relate to. The support that T-MAC provides can only be found in the group around people who can understand and help a person who needs it.
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Matt
He/Him
I am a young professional who lives a mostly stealth life outside of my personal life. Having T-MAC is so critical to my health and wellbeing. It is a great space to be at ease and focus my time and energy on an important aspect of my life. An aspect that I feel I dont have time to give much thought to. I often feel isolated with living a stealth life and when I encounter areas where I am reminded how different I am (bathrooms, locker rooms), it makes me feel a lot of dysphoria. When I come to T-MAC I have a space to address my dysphoria and not be so alone. It is healing to be around other transmasculine people and laugh, share experiences and emotions.
Schuyler
No Preference
T-MAC is important to me because I started to transition a little later in life (age 38) and I didn't know any other transmasculine people. The other guys at T-MAC have answered my questions about transitioning and provided me with a community in which I feel comfortable being myself.
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Rae
They/Them or He/Him
I'm a 35 year old stay at home Dada. Carried one of my kiddos and my wife carried the other.
I come to T-MAC because when I first moved to Chicago 2.5 years ago, I didn’t know anyone. T-MAC gave me a community and were supportive and loving. T-MAC is important so that folks out there who may feel alone know they have a community.
Nat
They/Them
I was born and raised in the Great Lakes region, and it probably shows. I'm a big nerd, and I love singing, camping, cats, and knitting, in no particular order. I've known I was queer since I was a teenager, but I didn't figure out until relatively recently that I'm not cis. I'm still trying to figure out what exactly that means for me, and T-MAC has been a vital part of that discovery process; it's great to have a community of other trans and genderqueer people who can share their experiences and knowledge with me. Even if their stories aren't exactly the same as mine, hearing those differences is valuable - we can find strength in our diversity.
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Jake
He/Him
I'm a tinkerer, builder, woodworker, and an avid lover of learning.
I've been on T since 2011, and between work and school, I never really had the time or resources to find other transmasculine folks to share with or learn from. As a young professional, I'm still just as busy now, but having T-MAC as an online resource and going to the meetings when I'm able gives me the opportunity to meet with amazing people who've had some of the same experiences I wasn't able to talk about before. Groups like this are a godsend for navigating issues and feelings like ours that aren't always addressed in the mainstream, and I wish I'd had it during the earlier years of my transition. T-MAC is a comfortable space with really cool and respectful folks, and I love being able to share such a big part of myself that I don't get to express during the work week.