Trans and triumphant Local activist leads from the margins

[Shana A]

Trans and triumphant
Local activist leads from the margins
by Desire Cooper

Originally printed 10/27/2011 (Issue 1943 - Between The Lines News)

http://www.pridesource.com/article.html?article=49898

Ryan Oliver, 28, can tell you a thing or two about what it really means to be an African American man. Like knowing how to be a "brother to brothers," and showing compassion for other men. And like showing the utmost respect for black women.

"I don't call the black women in my life the b-word," he said. "And I know that I don't have to emulate the man who stands outside of the liquor store in baggy pants and a doo rag in order to be a black man."

At 28, Oliver's view of manhood has been hard-won. From his youth in a violent Detroit neighborhood, to his isolation as a black college student in a white environment, he has struggled to define himself and his masculinity. It's a challenge that's been even more daunting because Oliver is biologically female.