Published in the May 2025 Edition
By Sophie White
First off, a huge shoutout to Mary Taylor and Adam Romanik for bringing my column back from the void. It’s been way too long, and I’ve missed spilling my thoughts onto the page. Most folks were probably itching to kick 2024 to the curb. It was a chaotic, drawn-out mess of a year, and the world seemed ready to flip the calendar. So, what’s 2025 got in store?
Well, so far, it’s screaming, “You thought that was bad?” My take? It’s an “Oh, hell no” kind of start. If 2024 was a dumpster fire, 2025 rolled up, and said, “Hold my beer.”
January 20th brought Donald Trump’s second inauguration. He didn’t waste a second, unleashing a flurry of executive orders. If you thought his first term was wild, buckle up—this man’s been plotting his comeback for four years, and he’s not here to play nice. Early February hit like a sledgehammer for the LGBTQ community. A wave of new laws rolled back anti-discrimination rotections. The Trump administration’s poised to gut federal rules barring discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender
identity. That means no protections for LGBTQ folks in jobs, housing, schools, healthcare—you name it. States and local governments are following suit.
Trump’s stance? Two genders, male and female, end of story. Now there’s a push to force people to use bathrooms matching their birth certificates.
So, what happens to someone like Patricio “Pat” Manuel, the first openly trans man to box professionally in the U.S.? Is he supposed to use the women’s restroom?
Or Paris Lees, a trans woman who’s modeled for British Vogue—does she get shoved into the men’s room? What about their safety? Are they just supposed to deal with harassment, or worse? And what about the 1.7% of intersex people—over 5 million folks? Do they just… vanish? That’s about 100,000 trans people per state. You might not think you know a trans person, but trust me, we’re out there. A lot of us blend in, and you’d never know.
I’m mostly retired now and when I’m not writing, I am spending my days hopping around the globe thanks to my new retirement profession. In the last six months, I’ve hit St. John, Newfoundland; Halifax, Nova Scotia; Roatan, Honduras; Belize City, Belize; Cancun, Mexico; and 20 U.S. states, from deep-red Texas and Florida to blue strongholds like New York and Massachusetts. Here’s the deal: 99.9% of people don’t give a damn that I’m trans. (Okay, it’s been 100% so far, knock on wood.) I don’t always “pass” as female—I dress super feminine, usually in a dress, but skip makeup most days and wear my hair up. Women read me as female about 75-80% of the time; guys, maybe 50%. But here’s the thing: everyone’s been respectful. No one’s been a jerk just for kicks. I don’t usually correct people on my gender either—I’m not here for drama, and honestly, I’m over caring.
Interestingly, non-Americans tend to see me as female more often. Maybe it’s my voice; they don’t have the same cultural cues. Speaking of customs, I got Clear, which means the government’s got my biometrics now. (Jury’s out on whether that’s a win or a mistake.) But it makes travel a breeze—no lines, no hassle and customs in airports or cruise terminals have not cared that I am trans. Travel’s been a blast, but there’s always this nagging worry in the back of my mind: what if I get arrested for using the women’s bathroom even though I've have a female marker identification?
Some trans folks are sticklers for being gendered correctly, and I get it—that’s their fight. Me? I let it slide unless someone’s being an asshole and trying to hurt me. It keeps life simpler. Doesn’t mean it doesn’t sting sometimes, but I have been able brush it off.
A word of advice: travel young if you can. My body’s creaking—knee replacements are on the horizon, but I’m stubborn and saying no for now. Traveling when you’re older can be tough, but it’s still worth it. It just takes more time and grit.
We’ve got trips planned to Hawaii, New York, and Connecticut soon. This year’s already a beast. Welcome to 2025. As always, I’m sending peace, love, and light.
Sophie