TransLab

Georgina Beyer (November 1957 – March 2023) was a fearless Māori politician, activist, and former s*x worker who made history as the world’s first openly transgender mayor and Member of Parliament. Born in Aotearoa, New Zealand, Beyer became a powerful voice for 2SLGBTQIA+ rights, s*x workers’ rights, and Indigenous communities, using her platform to advocate for dignity, equality, and social justice.

Before entering politics, Beyer worked as an actor, performer, and s*x worker, experiences she spoke about openly and unapologetically throughout her life. In 1995, she was elected mayor of Carterton, and in 1999, she became a Member of Parliament. During her time in office, Beyer played a key role in supporting the Prostitution Reform Act and the Civil Union Act, and in advancing protections for q***r and transgender people across New Zealand.

Known for her honesty, humour, and unwavering commitment to her community, Beyer challenged stereotypes and transformed public conversations around gender identity, s*x work, and representation in politics. Her legacy continues to inspire generations of trans people worldwide to live authentically and fight for change.

OFTV celebrates the life of trailblazing trans politician and activist, Georgina Beyer. From the streets to Parliament, she changed history. Listen to the episode here: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/oftv-6-the-art-of-the-possible/id1071270085?i=1000364902990

To learn about the Rainbow Room in the New Zealand Parliament, which was opened to reflect the nation's LGBTQIA+ population. Watch the short film “Rainbow Voices of Aotearoa New Zealand: A Documentary Short Film” here: https://www3.parliament.nz/mi/visit-and-learn/history-and-buildings/buildings-and-grounds/parliament-house/rainbow-room/

Louis Graydon Sullivan (June 16, 1951 – March 2, 1991) was a passionate American author and activist dedicated to supporting transgender men. Sullivan was a trailblazer in supporting the grassroots female-to-male (FTM) community and played a key role in helping individuals access peer support, counselling, endocrine services, and reconstructive surgeries outside traditional gender dysphoria clinics. Sullivan may have been the first trans man to openly identify as gay, and played a significant role in helping the world understand that s*xual orientation and gender identity are two separate, important aspects of our identities.

Created by Lou Sullivan, the FTM newsletter was published four times a year from 1987 until 2008. It fostered a sense of connection and community among transmasculine individuals, featuring articles, books, and film reviews, as well as the ‘malebox’, a space where readers could write to the editors with questions or for advice. Many readers chose to use pseudonyms when reaching out or writing articles, although some contributions from prominent activists are well-known and traceable back to the pages of FTM.

The special double episode of OFTV celebrates the remarkable life of Lou Sullivan, the pioneering gay FTM who was instrumental in shaping the vibrant FTM community we know today. Listen to the episode here: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/one-from-the-vaults-27384/episodes/oftv-19-lou-in-the-city-of-nig-18451889

Today, all 67 issues of FTM can be accessed in person or online via the Trans Archives in Special Collections at the University of Victoria in Victoria, B.C., Canada. This series has been carefully scanned and reviewed to protect privacy, with some personal details redacted.
Check out the FTM Newsletter online here:
https://vault.library.uvic.ca/collections/d13ed5ae-6ea3-4cb8-b72a-4a5c794982b6?locale=en

🌈📣 The T Shelf 📣🌈

This week’s pick: Trans Resistance through Artful Existence: A Zine

This zine originated from The GenderFULL Meditation Project. The GenderFULL Meditation Project was an eight-week, student-led community effort facilitated by the TransLab at Athabasca University. Through a broad call for submissions, members of Alberta's trans community contributed artwork, writing, and reflections inspired by their personal experiences. This zine celebrates trans* creativity as powerful, necessary, and deeply alive, bringing together art and reflection to take up space, tell our own stories, and stay connected to one another.

Across its pages, you’ll find work that moves between tenderness and intensity; pieces that hold joy, anger, care, and imagination side by side. At a moment when trans* lives are increasingly politicized and misunderstood, Trans Resistance Through Artful Existence offers a reminder that creativity can be grounding, protective, and collective. Art becomes a way of showing up for ourselves and each other, and of insisting on our full presence in the world.

Whether you see yourself reflected here or are engaging as a witness and ally, this zine invites you to slow down, pay attention, and listen.

📖 Check it out online:https://transresearchlab.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Trans-Resistance-through-Artful-Existence-PDF.pdf

Got a rec? Let’s connect. Slide into our DMs or email us. Let’s build this shelf together.

"Before social media, before blogs, before group chats and Discord servers, trans people found one another in the margins. In envelopes. In photocopied pages passed hand to hand, folded into pockets, mailed quietly across borders, trans folks shared lived experiences, knowledge, and support through zines. Zines weren’t just creative projects; they were lifelines."

We’re pleased to share a new piece by Jay Learn, Trans Zines and the T Shelf*, tracing this history and introducing the T Shelf, a TransLab feature highlighting zines and other works that shape trans research, culture, and lived experience.

Every zine is a reminder that knowledge lives in communities, and that our stories have always been written, shared, and carried forward.

Trans* Zines and the T Shelf - Transgender Studies Research Hub Before social media, before blogs, before group chats and Discord servers, trans people found one another in the margins. In envelopes. In photocopied pages passed hand to hand, folded into pockets, mailed quietly across borders, trans folks shared lived experiences, knowledge, and support through z...

“Print mattered because it could travel where people couldn’t.”

Before timelines and feeds, there were envelopes. Photocopied pages. Handwritten manifestos folded into pockets and mailed across borders. Trans people built connections through zines; lifelines made of paper, ink, and care.

From Transvestia to Transgender Tapestry and the FTM Newsletter, trans communities documented themselves on their own terms; sharing transition knowledge, poetry, survival strategies, and proof that we were never alone.

Our latest blog post reflects on trans* zines, community archives, and the creation of the T-Shelf, a space honouring the generations who taught themselves how to survive and wrote it down for the next person.

🌐 Check out our website to read more about the history of trans* zines and the T-Shelf: https://transresearchlab.com/2026/02/14/trans-zines-and-the-t-shelf/

📲 Follow us to stay up to date on upcoming features and events.

🌈📣 The T Shelf 🔥🌈

This week’s pick: Mosaic LGBT+ Young Persons’ Trust

This zine is a magical collection of creative work by young LGBT+ people supported by Mosaic LGBT+ Young Persons’ Trust (ages 12–18 and 18–25). Through art, poetry, and collective expression, this zine reflects a community committed to supporting, educating, and inspiring LGBT+ youth, while celebrating the diversity of young people and their lived experiences.

Throughout the issue, you’ll find recurring carabiners exploring the intersectionality of identities, inviting readers to pause, notice, and decode their meanings. ✨

Calls to action and themes of solidarity and unionization run throughout the work, reflecting individuals’ responses to ongoing injustice. This work feels especially grounding and necessary in today’s political climate.

📖 Read it online or download it here: https://mosaictrust.org.uk/zine/

Got a rec? Let’s connect. Slide into our DMs or email us. Let’s build this shelf together.

Recent decisions by the Alberta government,
the use of the notwithstanding clause to shield laws
restricting gender-affirming care, pronoun use in schools,
and inclusion in sport are impacting trans* and gender-diverse Albertans right now.

These policies are not just political.
They affect people’s
health, safety, and dignity.

Research shows that affirming environments
and access to care
significantly improve mental health and outcomes for trans* folks.

In the face of all this, remember:

you are not alone
hope grows with each small act of solidarity
& together, we create spaces where trans* and gender-diverse people
are seen, valued, and protected.

🌐Follow us here and check out our website to stay up to date with upcoming community events, research, and resources https://transresearchlab.com/

Trans joy is revolutionary. ✨

We resist. We rise. We choose ourselves, again and again.

Every laugh, every quiet moment, every soft claim of who we are;

That is resilience. That is living authentically.

We grow. We bloom. We become. 🌱🌸

In a world that tries to silence us, joy finds a way.

🌐Follow us here and check out our website to stay up to date with upcoming community events, research, and resources: https://transresearchlab.com/