Trans and non-binary fitness trainers are building tiny empires

Before Ilya Parker could start his gender transition and begin the next, long-awaited phase of his life, his doctor gave him a miserable prescription.

Parker would have to “loose at least 50 pounds” before he could even think about hormone replacement therapy, which would help him transition to a more masculine physique.

Fifty pounds is high bar for anyone to meet, but it was a particular obstacle for Parker who, at the time of his transition, was struggling with severe depression and body dysmorphia. Living in the rural South, he didn’t have a trans-friendly gym nearby. Parker hired several different personal trainers, but they only wanted to “reinforce” traditional gendered fitness aesthetics. Read more…

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