No two gender transitions were identical, and the major factor determining the path of that transition was access. Living in a city or close to one made a transition much more attainable in terms of resources and community–places like this community center did not exist in rural areas. Similarly, one’s access to community events like social gatherings and in-person support groups determined what options that individual saw as potential choices. An absence of these options may have meant someone never found the correct path for them.

[1] “Lesbian & Gay Community Services Center Staff Photos,” photograph, 1996, Digital Transgender Archive, https://www.digitaltransgenderarchive.net/files/zw12z5638.