Joy is Powerful

We Deserve to Thrive

Transgender joy is found in the freedom to live as our fullest selves. It’s the sparkle of a name that feels and is right. It’s the laughter shared with our families (given or chosen), the euphoria of healthcare services that support our true selves, the pride of walking through the world with dignity and without apology. It’s trans kids being included and imagining futures full of possibility, and trans elders passing down wisdom and love. Our joy is in our art, our movements, our fashion, our language, and in each other.

Yet, trans people are under attack — from bans on trans health care to censorship in schools and the criminalization of those who support us. These aren’t just policies without consequence — they’re blatant attempts to erase us. But we are resilient. Our joy is not naive — it’s revolutionary. It resists the fear meant to divide and control us. And it embraces our authenticity and self-worth.

The same people and systems attacking gender-affirming care are also working to ban abortion, restrict IVF, and criminalize pregnancy outcomes. These attacks are about power and control over our bodies and our decisions. Reproductive Justice and trans liberation are inseparable — because real freedom means having access to the full spectrum of care, whether it’s abortion pills, hormone replacement therapy, birth control, or gender-affirming surgery. When we fight for abortion access, we are fighting for trans people, too. When we protect trans healthcare, we are advancing Reproductive Justice. 

At URGE, we believe in a world where everyone has the support, autonomy, and care they need to thrive. We invest in young people — especially in the South and Midwest — because joy belongs everywhere to everyone. No state is a lost cause. No person is disposable.

Trans lives are beautiful. Trans joy is resistance.