How did this group get started? 

I was on Bluesky, which is a Twitter alternative, and the transfeminine community is very strong there. That is a great thing in general, but as a transmasculine person, I ended up just feeling really isolated. Especially because I’m new to the Madison area myself and only just starting to develop my own social connections.

When I first learned about trans people, I learned about transfeminine people, and it was a lot later before I met anyone that was transmasculine. Personally, I’ve run into a lot more transfeminine people, both in person and online. Trans information is not super accessible, and it’s a lot of word-of-mouth. Ultimately, I just decided to be the cliche of, “Be the change you want to see in the world.” I knew that this was something I could do, so I just decided to do it!

What can an attendee expect? 

I intentionally don’t want the meetup to be like a therapy support group, because I don’t think that we necessarily have the education or resources to do that. But I do very much want it to be a social group where you can make friendships, which I have done. I met two great guys, and we play Dungeons & Dragons, and that’s awesome.

Also, one of the other members is a big fan of spreadsheets. So, he did a big spreadsheet of all the top surgeons in the tri-state area, which was a great resource that I would have never had, if not for hosting this.

Honestly, it’s just a great way to meet people that have a shared transmasculine experience. You know, which is not going to be all-encompassing, but it’s still one aspect. It’s important to share common experiences or stuff that you’re dealing with that you have in common.

How do people get in touch with the organizers? 

Although the meetup is hosted in Madison, it is not limited to Madison residents. To learn more about the meetup, check out their Transgender Madison Discord server via discord.com/invite/KZEB3kk7tS or email [email protected].