Don’t get it twisted—I will be the first to acknowledge how critical and life-saving gender-affirming care is for the trans and non-binary community. I will also stand firm in knowing that our community doesn’t have to suffer in the way that we do while we wait our turn for gender-affirming care. I suffered so much pre-transition because of my desperation to want to be cis. I wanted to run away, for no one to know of the woman I used to be. I realized that there is so much beauty in the person I was pre-transition. Hannah led me to August, and I will forever be grateful for her. She was strong, resilient, and persistent. And August is too. My gender-affirming care has, of course, helped, but I found peace before top surgery, before T, when I was able to accept who I was and love every part of me. If you’re reading this and you are trans or non-binary, you deserve to know that peace too 🫶🏼 #transisbeautiful