Exploring the Connection Between Trans Communities and Urban Planning Advocacy
By
Katelyn Burns
Crackling crust, pillowy middle. The kind of bagel that earns a second cup of coffee.
Summary
This article explores the cultural phenomenon of trans people, particularly trans women, being heavily involved in urban planning and transit advocacy. It examines the "trans on trains" meme that has circulated in online trans communities, where the wordplay between "trans" and "trains/transit" has become a running joke. The article investigates deeper reasons for this connection, including how trans people often live in dense urban areas for safety and community, how public transit offers independence from driving (which can be a source of dysphoria or financial burden), and how urbanist policies align with progressive, community-oriented values common in trans spaces. The piece blends cultural analysis with interviews and personal anecdotes to explain why transit advocacy has become a notable subculture within trans communities.
Key quotes
· 3 pulledThe similarity between the word 'trans' and the words 'trains' or 'transit' has become fertile comedy ground for trans people online for a generation.
Pictures of cargo trailers with a company name ending in 'trans' are easy fodder to get likes on trans social media.
Trans people are often advocates of radical transit and urbanist policy—Katelyn Burns investigates why.
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