This is a space for trans/nonbinary Asian people to share their experiences, ask questions, and discuss being trans/nonbinary and Asian.
We are in the process of reconstructing this blog from transasians-old. Our old links may be broken on this blog, but work on that blog.
Anonymous asked: Hey I couldn’t find your FAQ anywhere so idk if you answer these types of questions, but recently I discovered I’m part asian and I want to choose a name (ftm) that reflects that, but I feel like because I’m white passing and wasn’t raised in the culture, I don’t get to claim my identity as part asian. Do I get to claim that part of myself or should I just drop it and ‘stay white’ like my friends are saying so I don’t have to deal with racism?
If you were never raised knowing you were asian, and you don’t get read or recognized as asian by others, it’s possible that people will find it unusual or odd if you have an asian name. we cannot tell you what you are or are not, but be mindful of any possible privilege you may have in that you may not have even known that you have some asian ancestry so therefore other people also may not have known and may not see you as such, especially if you are white passing and dont have a connection to the culture. on the flipside, if you feel very strongly about it and are invested in learning more about your culture and your identity, it could definitely be something to explore. again, we cannot tell you who you are or are not. choosing a name that people read / interpret as “asian” could definitely result in racism / xenophobia in things like job searching when they only see your name and not anything else about you, so that is something to keep in mind, but ultimately if that is something you decide is right for you, don’t let that stop you. i know this is a very vague answer, and the reason why is because we really don’t know you and we can’t be gatekeepers in this community. just know that it may be a privilege for you to get to perhaps choose an ‘asian’ name but if you don’t you dont have to deal with racism whereas other asian people who may not be white passing might get discriminated against and have more material disadvantages and deal with racism whether or not their name is ‘asian’ but even more so if their name is ‘asian’
““Mother,” I slowly repeated in Korean. “I am not a boy. I am a girl. I am transgender.” My face reddened, and tears blurred my vision. I braced myself for her rejection and the end to a relationship that had only begun. Silence again filled the room. I searched my mother’s eyes for any signs of shock, disgust or sadness. But a serene expression lined her face as she sat with ease on the couch. I started to worry that my words had been lost in translation. Then my mother began to speak. “Mommy knew,” she said calmly through my friend, who looked just as dumbfounded as I was by her response. “I was waiting for you to tell me.” “What? How?” “Birth dream,” my mother replied. In Korea some pregnant women still believe that dreams offer a hint about the gender of their unborn child. “I had dreams for each of your siblings, but I had no dream for you. Your gender was always a mystery to me.” I wanted to reply but didn’t know where to begin. My mother instead continued to speak for both of us. “Hyun-gi,” she said, stroking my head. “You are beautiful and precious. I thought I gave birth to a son, but it is OK. I have a daughter instead.””
Anonymous asked: Hi do you know of any Asian people (Chinese specifically) that have gone on t and have documented their transition experience? So far I’ve only managed to find 1 Chinese guy on YouTube who’s talked about his experiences on t but I’d like some more info to see if going on t is right for me
Yes! These are some people I’ve come across online. I find it helpful to see other asian people transitioning on T because I know that my transition will probably be pretty different than those of other people, but may be more similar to other asian people. I tried to specify the ones who I know aren’t Chinese specifically, but I don’t know all of their races/ethnicities! A lot of these people are no longer active on youtube anymore, so apologies for that, but some of them do have transition timeline videos / instagrams / other social media!
This is by no means a comprehensive list either, there are more people putting content out there, this is just some of what I’ve seen.
Thailand’s oldest university, founded a century ago this year, celebrated another first today when a transgender man walked at graduation to receive his degree. Instead of wearing a dress as had been required in the past, Navarat “Grace” Techarathanaprasert wore the customary slacks and jacket of male students Friday to receive his bachelor’s degree in architecture from Chulalongkorn University. He’s believed to be the first student born female to wear the uniform consistent with his gender identity at a Chulalongkorn graduation.
pinejay asked: do u kno anything abt chinese lgbt history, specifically trans/gnc history? i tried looking it up but i can never find anything myself!! thank u!!!
these passages from Transgender History: Trans Expression in Ancient Times: “In ancient China, the shih-niang wore mixed-gender ceremonial clothing”, and “Chui Chin, a cross-dressing Chinese revolutionary and feminist was beheaded in 1907 for organizing an uprising against the Manchu dynasty.”
@transasians this is a very helpful post but i think its important to mention that the link about yingyang ren is inaccurate? yingyang ren is historically a derogatory slur used specifically towards chinese intersex people, who have reclaimed the term to describe themselves and to talk about their experiences.
many yingyang ren feel uncomfortable with being grouped under the lgbt and trans umbrellas because it takes away their agency to self identify, and while some yingyang ren may identify as non-binary or trans, some do not
i cannot find any case of yingyang ren being a nonbinary gender identity, outside of a single archived blog post and several english-language wikis that seem to source each other? trans and gender noncomforming people are sometimes called yingyang ren, but this is because of intersexism, not because it is a culturally recognized term for those groups. it is possible that it is used in specific chinese-speaking regions, but i would strongly caution non- intersex individuals to be careful about identifying as yingyang ren.
heres a link from the Organization of
International Intersex Chinese’s misconception page, they have a part including
paragraphs where they talk about how yingyang ren are not necessarily
lgbt. for ppl not comfortable w reading chinese, there
is a link on the page for an english translation, you have to use the
wayback machine to read it, but it is worth a read. u can also google
translate if you’re willing to do some guesswork)
thank you for posting these resources
thanks for this correction/addition! i admit i know basically nothing about trans history in china so i did a google search and linked what i thought sounded legit. a nonbinary wiki had listed it as a gender identity, which i took and believed without sources, so i apologize. thank you again!
Anonymous asked: Are there any solid mtf asian makeup and skincare guides? Contouring is crazy magic. Finding a good skincare routine sounds like a complete fantasy. Please help?
i don’t much about makeup, nor am i transfem, but julie (princessjoules) on youtube has a lot of makeup tutorials, and she’s an asian trans woman, so they might be helpful! here are a few:
“A Tokyo municipal official, the first openly transgender person to seek or win elected office in Japan. She was elected in April 2003. Kamikawa, then a 35-year-old writer, submitted her election application papers with a blank space for “sex.”
She won a four-year term as an independent under huge media attention, placing sixth of 72 candidates running for 52 seats in the Setagaya ward assembly, the most populous district in Tokyo. Despite an announcement that the government would continue to consider her male officially, she stated that she would work as a woman. Her platform was to improve rights for women, children, the elderly, the handicapped, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people.
In April 2007, she was re-elected to her second term, placing second of 71 candidates running for 52 in the same ward assembly. She is the only openly transgender official in Japan at this point.” xx
Ai Haruna (はるな愛)
Ai Haruna is a singer, actress, and businesswoman. Growing up she experienced a lot of pain and hardship due to the ignorance of her parents and Japanese society as a whole. However, this didn’t stop her from living out her childhood dream of becoming an idol and tv-personality. xx
Kayo Satoh (佐藤かよ)
She is a fashion model and particularly famous in the fighting game community. She was born in Nagoya and after she graduated middle school she ran away from home because of the pain she experienced in a society that didn’t understand her. That night, she went to her childhood friend’s house, who lent her clothes that suited her. She then worked at a convenience store, and 4 years later she got a job as a clerk at a women’s clothing store. Soon after, she was scouted by a modeling agency which she still works for. x
“a Japanese pop singer-songwriter, as well as being an author and actress. She is most recognised for her song ‘Tomodachi no Uta’, which was used as the theme song for the drama Watashi ga Watashi de Aru Tame ni (in which she also appeared as an actress). She’s also known for being one of the few openly [transgender] celebrities in Japan, having been [assigned male at birth], and has spoken of the struggles she underwent with issues of identity before transitioning. In 2006, she signed to popular record label avex trax, and in 2010 moved to Yamaha Music Communications.” xx
Anonymous asked: Hey, I have a good question. A while back, you posted links for more masculine mannerisms, could you please do the same for us transfeminine people? I'm absolutely clueless as to how to pass that way, I already know the makeup side of things. Thank you in advance!
We get a lot of questions asking how to get short hair, so I’ve gathered some info that may help you in your quest to chop off your long hair and finally be free!
Take baby steps
First cut it to just below shoulder length, then after a month or two to chin length.
After a month or two of that, say it’s inconvenient because you can’t tie it back with a hairband because it’s in-between long and short and you’ve been enjoying having less hair to deal with and get a feminine “pixie cut”.
Then just progressively got it cut shorter and shorter each time you go for a haircut.
Reasons and excuses to convince your parents to let you get it cut
Short hair is easier to maintain and take care of
If you’re disabled or mentally ill this is a real bonus to having short hair.
Other ‘girls’ you know have short hair (if you’re closeted).
If any of your friends who are girls (or who your parents think are girls) have short hair, point them out to your parents.
Celebrities who are women/girls have/had short hair.
Find pictures of the celebrities that have short hair in the style that you want and ask your parents to get that haircut. Such as:
It’s hot out in the summer/live in an area with a warm climate and short hair would keep you cool and or/ exercising makes your head/hair gross/sweaty.
You want to try the style for the summer and “grow it back if you don’t like it” (i.e. pretend the summer is a trial run and if you don’t like it you can start growing it back for school).
You want to swim/do sports and short hair would keep it out of your face
If you are a serious swimmer, short hair will make you faster under a swim cap because you won’t have the bun and the weight.
It looks cute/pretty and is fashionable and you want to try a change of hairstyle.
You’re tired of dealing with having long hair as it always gets stuck to things.
You want to keep it out of your face/or stop it from touching your face
If you have sensory issues, you could say it’s related to that.
It’ll make your showers quicker and you’ll use less hair product and it’ll save you time getting ready in the morning (and money— in the long run).
If you have OCD or trich, you could say you want it shorter so you won’t pull at your hair as often or you think it’d help reduce the urge to pull at your hair.
You have gum/glue in your hair.
Stick some gum or glue in your hair, a bit closer to the end than you want the length to be when it’s cut.
Say that it was done by accident (maybe you fell asleep chewing it) and then hopefully you can get it cut or have an excuse to cut it yourself.
You could say you’re experimenting, or it’s just part of being a “Rebellious teenager”.
You think you’d look better with short hair/you think you’d be happier and more comfortable with short hair.
Short hair will help you pass better which can be important for your mental health and physical safety, and if you change your mind you can always let it grow out again.
It doesn’t matter what kind of face you have, anyone can rock short hair.
The majority of cis guys have short hair. So does that mean every single one has the same type of face? Nah! Some of them must have round faces too.
Nobody says anything about having the right shape of face to them, they just get their hair cut short automatically. Sure, some haircuts may be more flattering than others, but short hair can look good on anybody.
Say you’ll pay for the haircut yourself, and you’re [X ] years old now and your body and your hair is your own responsibility, and nobody can make choices on what you want to do with your own body for you.
“I’m growing up and I think I should be able to decide how my hair is cut and styled. I think I can handle the responsibility of making my own decisions about my appearance.”
Say you want to donate your hair to an organization like Wigs for Kids or something, and they prefer longer lengths of hair to make longer hair wigs for the kids, and you’re willing to have your hair cut short for a good cause and you’ve been thinking of trying a new style anyway
Act now and ask for forgiveness later
You could cut your hair sort of short with a pair of scissors, like I did, just a few inches longer than you’d like it to end up. If you watch YouTube tutorials on how to cut hair, it might go better.
Then go to the barber shop or hair salon if it didn’t turn out satisfactory (get a ride from a friend or walk) and say you usually have short hair but you didn’t get it cut for a while so you let a friend cut it on a dare and now it’s messed up so you need a trim to fix it.
You can show the pic of what you want it to look like, and say it usually looks like that. You will need to have money to pay for your haircut, and be confident that your parents will not hurt you when they found out you’ve cut it short.
But once you’ve cut it short, they can’t magically make it long again so if they won’t react dangerously, it’s worth a try if you can’t convince them.
Spectrum outfitters is a new UK BASED company that is about to start selling binders
I know this damn website is so Americanised but PLEASE reblog this! Transmasculine people in the UK have to pay a ridiculous amount of money for shipping from America. This could change all that.
Support your UK trans community. Reblog this. Get the word out.
