As I sit here on New Year’s Eve, watching the last hours of 2025 quietly tick away, I feel that familiar mix of exhaustion and gratitude that always seems to arrive right on schedule. This year asked a lot of us. Emotionally. Politically. Personally. Communally. And yet, here we are, still standing, still writing, still telling our stories in a world that keeps insisting we should not.
A year ago, I wrote about the early momentum of TransVitae and the hope that this space could grow into something meaningful. At the time, TransVitae was still finding its footing. We had ambition, passion, and a growing readership, but the question lingered quietly in the background. Could we really build a transgender-led platform that covered hard news, personal truth, and cultural shifts without watering ourselves down for comfort or clicks?
Looking back now, that question has been answered.
Not only did TransVitae grow in 2025, it solidified its purpose. This year did not just add more content. It added depth, responsibility, and trust. And that trust came from you.
A Year of Expansion and Real Impact
2025 marked a turning point for TransVitae.com. Our readership expanded in ways that still surprise me when I look at the analytics. More importantly, our reach deepened. Readers did not just skim headlines. You stayed. You read. You shared articles with family members, coworkers, and friends who were trying to understand something bigger than themselves.
This year, we expanded our contributor base, welcoming more trans writers with different lived experiences. That mattered deeply. Trans people are not a monolith, and our coverage reflected that truth more than ever. We published investigative reporting that held institutions accountable. We published first-person essays that were raw, vulnerable, and sometimes painful to write. We published explanatory pieces designed for parents, partners, and allies who were searching for clarity in a sea of misinformation.
What made this growth special was not just volume. It was intention. Every piece asked the same underlying question. Does this serve the community, or does it just serve the algorithm?
Because of you, we chose the community every time.
Your emails, comments, and messages shaped our editorial direction more than any trend report ever could. You corrected us when we missed nuance. You pushed us to go deeper when an issue deserved more attention. You reminded us that responsible trans journalism is not about rage bait. It is about accuracy, humanity, and lived reality.
Speaking Hard Truths With Compassion
Let’s be honest. 2025 was not an easy year to exist as a transgender person. The political landscape grew more hostile in many places. Anti-trans legislation expanded in both scope and creativity, often wrapped in language designed to sound reasonable while doing very real harm.
Covering those stories was heavy. Writing about healthcare restrictions, bathroom bills, school policies, and workplace discrimination is not abstract work when it affects your friends, your readers, and sometimes yourself.
There were moments this year when hitting publish felt like an act of defiance.
At the same time, TransVitae committed to something that matters deeply to me. We did not abandon compassion in favor of outrage. That does not mean we softened the truth. It means we told it clearly, responsibly, and without dehumanizing anyone involved.
Some conversations were difficult. Sports. Medical care. Legal protections. Free speech. Internal disagreements within the trans community itself. We did not shy away from those discussions, but we approached them with care. We acknowledged complexity without losing sight of the fact that trans lives are not theoretical debates.
What stood out most this year was how you engaged with those stories. Even when opinions differed, many of you showed up with empathy rather than cruelty. That matters more than clicks. It proves that thoughtful discourse is still possible, even in an internet culture designed to fracture us.
Trans Voices in the Bigger Picture
One thing 2025 made undeniably clear is that trans voices are no longer confined to the margins. We are shaping conversations across culture, politics, healthcare, entertainment, and media. Sometimes that visibility brought celebration. Other times it brought backlash. Both are signs of impact.
Representation is not about being seen for the sake of optics. It is about being heard with accuracy. Too often, trans narratives are filtered through cisgender lenses that misunderstand or oversimplify our lives. TransVitae exists to challenge that pattern.
This year, we elevated voices that mainstream outlets often overlook. Trans elders who carry decades of hard-earned wisdom. Disabled trans people navigating multiple systems not built for them. Trans people of color whose experiences reflect layered realities of identity and survival. These stories did not fit neat boxes, and that is exactly why they mattered.
By publishing them, we expanded the public understanding of what trans life actually looks like. Not a headline. Not a controversy. A life.
Personal Growth and Learning Boundaries
Running TransVitae in 2025 forced me to grow in ways I did not anticipate. There is a difference between writing as an individual and stewarding a platform that others rely on for information, validation, and sometimes hope.
This year taught me the importance of boundaries. Not every argument deserves my energy. Not every bad-faith attack needs a response. Protecting my peace was not a retreat. It was a survival skill.
At the same time, I chose to be more visible in my own writing. I shared parts of my personal journey that I once kept private, not because I owed anyone transparency, but because vulnerability creates connection. When readers know there is a real person behind the words, trust grows.
Some of the messages I received this year will stay with me forever. Parents telling me an article helped them better support their child. Trans adults saying a piece made them feel less alone. Readers thanking us for putting words to feelings they could never quite articulate themselves.
Those moments are the quiet victories no metric can capture.
Families and Allies Are Part of This Story
Trans liberation does not happen in isolation. It happens in living rooms, kitchens, classrooms, and workplaces. It happens when parents listen instead of panic. When friends speak up instead of staying silent. When allies do the work of learning without expecting applause.
Throughout 2025, TransVitae saw increased engagement from families and allies seeking reliable information. That matters. Education rooted in empathy can change the trajectory of someone’s life.
To the parents reading this who chose curiosity over fear, thank you. To the partners who stood firm when things got uncomfortable, thank you. To the coworkers who challenged misinformation when it surfaced, thank you. You are part of this movement whether you claim the title or not.
Challenges We Faced and Lessons Learned
We faced setbacks this year. Some policy losses hit hard. Some stories were painful to report. There were moments when progress felt fragile and conditional.
But we also learned something important. Resilience does not mean pretending everything is fine. It means continuing anyway.
Despite the challenges, trans people continued to build art, community, businesses, families, and futures. Trans creators thrived in spaces once closed to them. Trans leaders stepped into roles of influence. Conversations that once happened in whispers now happen out loud.
TransVitae did not just observe these shifts. We documented them. We preserved them. We made sure they could not be erased or ignored.
Looking Ahead to 2026
As we move into 2026, my vision for TransVitae is clearer than ever.
We will deepen our investigative journalism. Healthcare access, legal protections, and education equity will remain core priorities. We will continue centering trans voices in every story we tell, especially those from communities most impacted by policy decisions.
We will also expand how we tell stories. Multimedia projects, podcasts, and interactive features will allow us to reach more people in ways that feel accessible and human. Growth will be intentional, not rushed.
Most importantly, we will remain accountable to the community that built this platform with us.
The Bottom Line
As this year comes to a close, I want you to know how deeply grateful I am. TransVitae exists because you read, shared, supported, challenged, and believed in this space.
2025 proved that when trans people tell their own stories, the narrative changes. We stop being subjects of speculation and start being authors of truth.
Here is to carrying that energy forward.
Here is to courage without apology.
Here is to community over comfort.
Here is to a 2026 shaped by honesty, care, and collective strength.
Thank you for being here.
