In Philadelphia, and at StoryCorps, Trans Youth Speak for Themselves 

In April, as part of our ‘A More Loving Philly’ initiative, we told stories of love about the ATTIC Youth Center, Philadelphia’s only LGBTQ+ youth center. The organization was embarking on a new initiative, with the Bryson Institute, to provide educational training designed to improve the climate and support for LGBTQ+ people by empowering young people as trainers and advocates. 

We highlighted this training because a critical aspect of its success is putting youth in conversation with the systems and services they interact with. To change the narrative, ATTIC Youth Panelists offer their stories and expertise and connect their realities with the stories that adults so often tell about them.

Earlier this month, 164 members of Congress – including Philadelphia’s own Dwight Evans – signed an amicus brief urging the Supreme Court to protect the rights of transgender youth. While impactful and much needed, the brief tells a troubling story about a diverse group of young people seeking equal protection under the law. 

In fact, most of the coverage about LGBTQ+ and transgender youth is just that: a conversation about them, rather than with them. This lack of representation, even when it’s well-intentioned, has contributed to an empathy gap that doesn’t always reflect the full breadth of the experiences of trans youth, their friends, families, and allies. 

This week’s story from StoryCorps shows us what happens when trans young people are able to stand in that gap, for and of themselves, and tell their stories on their own terms. 

College roommates Andre and Trey share their experiences getting to know each other as freshmen: first, as new roommates from opposite ends of the country, and later as young men finding their way through what masculinity means to them. The story shows us that all young people explore and learn about gender, as a right of passage, and when trans youth are allowed to be and speak for themselves, they invite us into a set of questions and lessons that we can all benefit from. 

You can listen to the full story below: