Tesseract at Portland Winter Lights Festival ©Skyler Lemay 2024 To become is to be part of a process by which the stable identities—the majorities—are dissolved in creative acts in which more fluid ‘identities’ are created, but only as the by-products of the process itself. ~ Todd May Milestones are an interesting concept, but I remain captivated by the impact of reflecting on the growth that has happened over the years. 3 years ago from today, I started HRT. I had finally started working through the chest of gender feelings that I had tried for so long to escape from. I could no longer avoid their haunting reminders of a truth that I had long known, but had repressed for far too long. I had just come out at work, and shared my name with my team. I was about to meet them for the first time, and it felt like a better time than any to share this news. ...

A reflection on transgender resilience throughout history and the strength found in community despite systemic erasure.

How historical transgender visibility has been systematically erased and the importance of solidarity in preserving our stories.

My cycling goals this year have revolved around a theme of trying new things and pushing myself in ways that had been relegated to the maybe some day category. This has included exploring gravel riding, racing, and ultra endurance. A few weeks ago I completed my third ultra endurance ride. I completed two 200km rides in the summer, but this was the first attempt at 300km. I’ve also longed to ride out to the Coast from Portland metro for years, but it always seemed out of reach. As Autumn rolled in and the days have already started getting shorter, I knew I had to commit now or face an increasing amount of time in the dark, and a higher chance of substantial rain. I enjoy riding in the dark hours and the rain, but those weren’t variables I wanted at play with such a large increase in distance and total elevation. ...

A personal reflection on how transitioning changed my awareness of safety and the stark reality of navigating misogyny.