Thread by @BuzzFeed

It's 2021 and many people still don't know about trans people. We have existed for thousands of years, yet people still, in general, appear to be confused by our existence as if it's new. Here's a history lesson on being trans, from @ShawnStensberg: buzzfeed.com/shawnstensberg…

Lesson #1: There are many documented trans cases pre-21st century. Let's talk about Christine Jorgensen. She was a World War II veteran who began transitioning after serving and went on to become a singer & actor. (📸 Bill Meurer/NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images)

Lesson #2: Dr. Magnus Hirschfield, a Jewish German doctor, founded the Institut für Sexualwissenschaft, which contributed greatly to trans lives through the study of trans identity. His institute was destroyed by Nazi's in 1933, but his work left a major impact.

Here's a photo of students in Berlin marching on the Dr. Hirschfield's Institute for Sexual Science in 1933, right before they entered the Institute to shut it down. (📸 © Hulton-Deutsch Collection/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images)

Lesson #3: Another important doctor was Dr. Henry Benjamin, a US endocrinologist, who studied trans issues and treatments. He went on to found an organization that later became @wpath. buzzfeed.com/shawnstensberg…

Lesson #4: So let's talk allyship - don't be a gatekeeper in demanding trans folk medically transition before you consider them trans. Introduce yourself by your name and pronouns. Don't ask personal transition-related questions, and don't out us to others, please!

To continue the history lesson, read the whole piece here: buzzfeed.com/shawnstensberg…

Finally, if you are a trans person in crisis, reach out to the Trans Lifeline at [phone]. Additionally, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline can be reached any time at [phone]. You are not alone and you are worthy of love and life. ❤️