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7/7/2026 My chest heaves. The air enters my lungs in deep gulps. All the denied emotions of the last year begin wracking my body. The weight of survival slowly lifts. How did I not realize? How did I not see I was in a tunnel of survival? No… I buried myself beneath the idea of survival I created. Whatever good came my way I deflected with the armor of that survival. I had stopped. Stopped caring, stopped trying, stopped putting in effort. I stopped living. It didn’t happen

9/13/2023 I am emerging from my cocoon, Bright yed and unafraid, My final form is almost complete, Only beauty to be had. Name and pronouns accepted, Goodbye to the old me, Body beginning to match soul, Masculine, handsome, queer. Looking toward a new dawn, Life and excitement in my eyes, Peace and comfort now known, Look out world, here I come. --Wyatt Ridley

4/14/2024 Acceptance seems an impossible thing, A sea of voices sparking endless fights, Tomorrow begins appearing hopeless, Grasping for light in a darkened world. What’s the point? No purpose being served, Drawing lines and checking boxes, Deepening cracks we’re trying to heal. Self-identity isn’t about you, You don’t define me, Who are you to say? My life isn’t your choice. --Wyatt Ridley

9/3/2023 Struggles with mental health, Mind betrays your body, Life looks like a black hole, Healing isn’t linear. Trauma flashbacks, Suddenly I’m twelve again, Hiding in my closet, Everything feels hopeless. Improving only comes with work, No matter how hard it seems, Even though it all seems lost, You are stronger than you know. Give it time, The pain will lessen, Growth is inevitable, Tomorrow’s another day. It’s amazing what one week can do, How quickly the clouds clear,

11/4/2025 Golden girl drenched in sunlight, Exuding joy with eyes of sadness, Fierce protector, she watches all. Monochrome duo lay side by side, One tuxedo, one spotted blue defiance, Both with pure love in their hearts. Relic on a shelf, a collar without an owner, A beautiful piece of the puzzle gone, Now only memories and a solemn ache. Two lovers at the center, Cooking magic fueling growth, This family, a haven for lost souls. --Wyatt Ridley

9/21/2023 You tell me I am amazing, The smartest person you know. Gorgeous you tell me, And madly in love you are. You tell me I am never too much, That I am the perfect amount. You tell me time and time again, So why can’t I figure it out? All I feel is broken, An empty shell. Like the sun has died, And forever in darkness. I don’t recognize my reflection, In my mind I’m someone else. Skinnier, prettier, more handsome, Not this person that I see. I have lost my confidence, F

6/9/2026 The trigger… It happens so quickly that it takes a moment before I realize what is happening. Then a feeling rises in my chest. What is it? It wraps around me, choking out the life that I normally feel. It feels foreign. A distant object that has forced its will upon my heart. That’s when the hole opens. An old wound that refuses to heal. It swallows all of my sanity. I take a jagged breath hoping to get a grip on the spiral I know is coming. It doesn’t help… The spi

6/8/2026 Faith… What is it? I’ve heard about it my entire life, but always in the same sentence as capital G, God. Unless you’re at karaoke and someone is a fan of George Michael. I have always rejected the idea of God, except for a brief period in my preteen years. There’s no way there’s a single all-powerful entity overseeing and planning everything for us. The idea has always been ludicrous to me. The older I grow, the more I believe this to be true. The list of bad shi

6/8/2026 Wyatt Ben Maureen I’m tired of feeling this way. These back and forth feelings. I can’t do this anymore. Passive suicidal thoughts again? No, just overwhelm. You’re so dramatic. That’s not true. Just get your shit together and stop worrying so much. I don’t know how to do that… Why can’t I get over this fucking pain? Everything feels so hopeless. I need to vacuum. It’s been two weeks since the last time. You don’t deserve the things you have. What?! What do you hav

8/27/2023 I feel the hurt, It’s deep in my chest, Heart racing uncontrollably, Face flushes red. Then there’s panic, My mind goes crazy, I see the spinning, How long will it last? Anxiety flourishes, Depression looms, No matter what I say, My brain won’t believe. Emotions both ice and fire, A fury I can’t explain, There’s a disconnect, Broken from reality. Rejection, fear, and sadness, Anger, betrayal, and pain, It’s all a threat, I’ve lost my importance. What can I do, How

8/11/2023 To love and be love is the greatest, Not many talk about love lost, Supposedly it’s better, Tell that to a heart freshly broken. The love I lost was a fire in my soul, You warmed me to my core, I saw a future I never did before, It felt so real and alive. Much too late I learned, That your love burned me down, It built up walls, That you never intended to tear down. Our love is in the past, Now always apart, The pain still lingers but, Memories have turned to nostal

8/1/2023 Silently stalking, Or loudly running, Your personality is so big, My little weirdo. Chittering at birds, Yowls for no apparent reason, The rumbling of your purrs, While you’re sitting on my chest. Yes, sometimes you try to suffocate, No, I really don’t mind, I want all your loves, Especially head butts to my face. I have watched you grow, From sad and scared in a shelter, You were so small, Now king of your castle. I am wrapped around your little paw, My beautiful tu

7/29/2023 Proud is what I should be feeling, I fought my way out, A better future is what I now have, Why am I numb and angry? Today was the dawn of a new day, It doesn’t feel like new beginnings, I’m in the same old hole I always am, Darkness stealing what little light there is. The only thing I feel is angry, It’s warming my face, It’s burning me to my core, Where is this coming from? Where is my happiness? Where is my peace? Why didn’t the deep breath come? There isn’t any

7/23/2023 ! Adult Content Warning ! Collar around my neck, Sitting in my place, Eyes closed and head down, I eagerly await your arrival. Excitement burning hot, Jittery from the nerves, I hear you walking, Soon you’ll be in front of me. The door opens, You see your little slut, An intake of breath, A moan of desire. The hairs on my neck stand up, Heart beating so fast, Your skin touches mine, I lose all thought, but “Yes, Daddy.” I want to please you, Be a good sub, On my han

6/9/2023 Feeling shattered, Leaving a broken trail, Trying to move on, Soul an empty hollow. Heart guarded and walls up, Fear ruling all, Not ready for love, You come into my life. Creeping in, Aura shining brightly, Like a renewing spring rain, Pushing all my boundaries. Soul awakening, Stitching up my heart, Safety felt in your arms, Dissolving all my worry. Hurt becomes a memory, Happiness yields joyful tears, Mind, body, soul aligned, Tomorrow feels like hope. Peace flows

7/6/2023 My love, words fail every time I try to explain, What you mean to me. How do I explain the highs? How do I tell you of its depths? My love for you is the feeling while watching the sunset, Gasping at its beauty. My love for you is a faint breeze on a blistering day, Sweet relief during a passionate fire. My love is the darkness of a new moon, All-consuming and surrounding. It is the hope that a new dawn brings, Lighting up the world. In all the days we have ahead of

5/21/2023 I still feel you all over me The way we held each other into the night Your touch, so light running down my spine I feel your breath on my face Lost in your eyes that once captivated my soul I can feel your face on my hand I still know the softness of your lips You are written all over my body Whispers and memories lingering My body still aches for all we were together. I need to let you go To let go of all we were All I thought we would be You haunt my every waking

A summary of events during the ITMAF Fundraiser and learn more about the Iowa Trans Mutual Aid Fund and why it is so important for Gender Diverse Iowans in 2025.

There are so many resources out there regarding transitioning that it can be daunting trying to navigate all of the content available. That's where this post comes in! We have collected many resources (most with input from other transgender people) and put them all here for easy navigation!

Our topic this month was all about pronouns. We started off by connecting to last months topic of self-identifying identities. Self-identifying identities also includes self-identifying pronouns. You can't have one without the other.