Minneapolis, Minn. — When Barbara Satin first started going out as a woman, it wasn't just different, it was dangerous.
Minneapolis, Minn. — When Barbara Satin first started going out as a woman, it wasn't just different, it was dangerous.
"I knew that I had this inner secret," Satin, who was born as a man, recalls. "Which was that I'm transgender. And if anyone found out, all the good things in my life would just disappear; they'd be shattered."
Back then, being transgender was thought of as perverse. She worried it could cost her her job, her relationship with her family, even her safety.
At the time, Barbara was part of a social club for transgendered women. They would meet to talk and trade tips on makeup and clothing.
But they had to keep it secret.
The meetings were never advertised. They'd hear about them through word of mouth. The locations weren't announced until the day of the event. They were terrified of being discovered.
"We even went as far as having a sergeant at arms who stood at the door to make sure you were a legitimate member. If you weren't, you weren't allowed in the room," explains Satin.
Sounds like something from the communist witch hunts of the 1950s. But actually it was the early '90s.
Today, things look a little different.
Ryan Li Dahlstrom leads me on a tour of a teen center in Minneapolis called District 202.
"It's an LGBTQ youth center," says Dahlstrom.
LGTBQ stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer or Questioning teens. It's a mouthful, but basically, District 202 is a safe space for anyone who doesn't fit your typical gender roles.
"This is a spot for them to meet people -- to hang out, to get involved in programs," explains Dahlstrom as he shows off the lounge area.
This place is sort of a response to the negative climate Barbara Satin grew up in. It's part coffee house, part rec room and part dance club.
Ryan Li Dahlstrom works here as a youth advocate. He's like a big brother to these teens [and I use the word "brother" lightly.]
That's because Dahlstrom is also trangendered. But it's kind of hard to tell which way he's going. He comes off as either a tomboy girl or a really effeminate guy.
"When I tell people I'm trans, they'll be like, are you transitioning to be a man or a woman?" says Dahlstrom. "I'm like, 'That's a really great question. I'm just me.'"
Dahlstrom says he likes occupying this space somewhere between male and female. He hopes that by blurring the lines between the two he can show others that gender is not as hard and fast as most people think.
But he runs into problems, like which bathroom to use.
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