"Trans is what I am rather than who I am," says Finn Buchanan. "Other aspects of what I do are more defining of me as a person than my gender history." Still, he's proud because everything he is now was earned. His home with girlfriend and fellow trans creative Charley Dean Sayers is his sanctuary. "I feel that I have nothing to hide or be ashamed of." Testosterone, he says, has been "a priceless tool" and his moustache – finally coming in – is joy incarnate. His icons? A full house of trans brilliance, from the internet personality Cookie Tookie to the late, great musician and producer Sophie to Charley herself, whose photo diary is a touchstone. Buchanan's message is clear: visibility matters, representation is vital and there is no shortcut to becoming yourself. "I'm a result of my mistakes," he says, "and my responses to those have made me who I am."
By Emily Phillips - 10 magazine
