We had a great planning meeting today for Trans Aware Cancer Care.

This is the first time many of us had been in a room together and it was so much nicer than being in constant Zoom meetings.

We’ve finally settled on the idea for what creative tools we might want for the workshops too. And we’re so close to inviting trans+ organisations and people to share their experiences of cancer services (including information found online, screening, diagnosis, treatment and aftercare).

What I find strange but also wholesome about community-based work is how much it makes me reflect on my own experiences. We are rarely afforded that outside of expensive or hard earned therapy sessions.

Today was tough for me in some ways as I created my small square of the giant trans flag we are working towards. It isn’t just a reflection on my experiences with cancer services, it brings up all sorts of times I’ve been treated poorly, misunderstood, devalued, unaccommodated and shown violence.

As I wrote the words and sewed the pieces onto this cloth I thought about how I’m constantly misgendered, how I will always be on the end of some sort of misogyny. How I feel like my contribution might not be enough because I’m not trans enough, I’ve not had the ‘right’ experiences of cancer services. I feel like my story and my face don’t fit.

I know this isn’t true but my head and my heart sometimes disagree. I’m enough and what I have to share is valid. I will just keep telling myself this, the same way I would show this kindness to anyone else we may speak to over the coming months.

Some useful links to keep up to date:

• Blog on the project so far and what’s to come
• Transvox podcast – intro to the project

This arm of the project has now concluded. Find the research report here: TACC Report.