Tattoos have always held
a prominent role within the LGBTQIA+ community.
For many of us, adorning
our bodies with tattoos is a source of immense euphoria as we reclaim ownership
of our physical selves. We wanted to hear about your experiences and celebrate the joy and gender euphoria that your tattoos have brought you. Here are some of the answers we got.
“As a trans person, I find adorning my body with tattoos a reclamation of my body and taking up space in it. From it being a traditional method for rights of passage and expression to sitting in my body actively while receiving a tattoo. My body truly is my own art canvas; it changes with time, it changes with HRT, and it changes with tattoos. Every tattoo, every wrinkle, every scar is a reflection of my own personal journey. A reminder of the resilience I have and will continue to have. It brings me a sense of gender euphoria in ways I did not quite realize until I fully understood my transgenderhood. It provides a way for me to see portions of my body and find joy, to find the creativity that lives within me. It is a transformative experience, and we are all transforming, I think trans people just show it more openly. My body is mine to adorn as not only I see fit, but in the ways I need. It's the reminder to place myself first and that only I know what is best for me. It helps me celebrate my existence as its own masterpiece in progress.”
"For the 3-year anniversary of my top surgery, I got a brush stroke on my chest that involved a sort of pilgrimage.I wanted a tattoo in order to use art - beauty and love - to help claim a space on my body that once felt foreign and unwanted.It connects my chest together with other parts to help integrate these places that were once disconnected and separate. And it starts on my neck so that it's visible even when clothed. I spent so long hiding my chest that now I want it on permanent public display. The artist was one I'd been following for 10 years, and I flew to LA to meet him. He ended up having a heavy hand and it was the most painful tat I've ever gotten. Yet somehow, I lay there without taking any breaks and I've realized it's because my body is used to discomfort. So getting this tat is a call to be much, much kinder to myself. I didn't quite realize how much emotional (and chronic physical) pain I tolerate on a regular basis. The tattoo artist said I was the toughest client he'd seen in 15 years. But more than anything, this tattoo represents self/body/heart love. All the shapes my body has taken. The miles it has walked. The journeys it has undergone and continues to go... And still opening, staying vulnerable and taking risks, with both strength and softness. The tat has helped me reclaim my body in so many ways."
"Total awareness and a constant reminder of how proud I am."
"I get to craft images that reflect who I am and adorn my body with art. Among my numerous trans-themed tattoos, one that stands out is the trans symbol featuring a fist at its center. This substantial tattoo on my arm sparks many conversations about my identity, trans rights, and the challenges faced by trans individuals. The tattoo serves as a tribute to my journey in education and visibility, as every person who see's it knows not only who I am, but many times spurs questions, essential conversations, and mutual respect to learn."
"I got tattoos on my things (historically sources of dysphoria for me) that remind me of the power and beauty of trans people and our bodies in particular. One is of a naked trans cowboy (with "original plumbing" so no phallus) and on the other thigh is this bad ass piece that shows a person with a flat chest hiking up their skirt to reveal a bulge in panties and these sexy femme garters. When I used to look in the mirror at my thighs it was easy to find fault in the way my body didn't line up with cis male body norms. Now when I look in the mirror I see badass trans bodies (depicted by badass queer artists) and am reminded that my trans body is badass too."
"Tattoos have been a source of healing and expression, but also a means of talismanic protection, embodying my spirituality, gifts of healing and truth."
"It’s a clear and present message to the world , 🌎 I feel proud and free."
"I have a “t4t” tattoo set on my thighs that my girlfriend did — it’s one of the first non-stick-and-poke tattoos that I got. both of us are trans, and it reminds me of how we’ve helped each other figure out stuff surrounding gender."
"They allow me to express my inner feelings in an artistic, sexy way."
"I started getting inked once I turned 18. I'm now 39 with over 15 tattoos, and each one tells a story of my life, from love to loss. But my favorites are the ones on my ribcage cause pre top surgery I never would have gotten inked there. And while the meaning behind the designs is the most heartbreaking, I wouldn't change a thing about having them."
"My tattoos bring an individuality and respect to the pieces of my body that I didn't yet have the capability of placing as my own.
"They are a HUGE part of my identity and appearance. People know me for my tattoos."
"My tattoos allow me to express the deepest parts of my personality I would have never discovered without transitioning. plus I feel like a mysterious sexy man :3"
"It sucks that this is true but it helps me feel more masculine"
"Since I was a teenager I've never been comfortable in my own skin, between excessive body weight, freckles, and being mocked for being pale I have always been the type to wear a t-shirt to the pool. I found with tattoos though, not only do I like how I look in the mirror now, but I also receive more positive than negative feedback from others when at the water park etc..."
"I got my first tattoo to celebrate five years on testosterone. I have the bones in a human arm and the bones in the pectoral fin of a roughly 370-million-year-old creature named Elpistostege watsoni tattooed on my upper arm. It’s quite a mouthful, but our arms are believed to have evolved from the fins of ancient lobe-finned fish, and this critter represents what’s called a transitional fossil - something in between a fish’s fin and our hand. Planet Earth is always in transition - it’s the most natural thing!"
"I always saw tattoos as a way of expressing myself through the pieces I had done, a lot of my tattoos help me tell my life story both the good and the bad, from life achievements to the loss of loved ones, my tattoos helped me love my body more with everyone I added."
"I have two reasons, The first is to memorialize my dead life the second is to represent my new life and my joy with it. Both are visible because I would never have a hidden tattoo as I want the world to see them, not just me in the bathroom mirror."
"Tattoos for me are an extension of my creative expression. I want you to see and understand the things I love. The shape and design of tattoos can be incredibly gender euphoric helping to cause the illusion of different body shapes to make me feel closer to my personal body goals."
"I have many tattoos including a large Transanarchy symbol on my left shoulder. I got it specifically to clarify for everyone who I am. I can be misgendered (the tattoo includes my pronouns) but I try to make it clear, especially to other members of the LGBTQ+ community who I am. When I think of "transgender visibility" this is specifically what I mean: not just "I am an ally" but also "I am going through this journey too."
"I got my tattoo just after graduating high school. It had been a fight, losing my home for being trans and learning to stand alone, my family disowning me and keeping contact at a distance for choosing to transition. My masculine figures werent the best examples, so I heavily questioned what kind of masculine person I should be. I was learning to accept being on my own, and going through my transition without anything but online guides and support groups in the area. It's a stag on my forearm with a galaxy background. The geometric design is meant to be me piecing myself and my identity together, and the galaxy represents the desire to keep an open mind for change. I can choose how I represent myself to the world, and by being strong enough to affirm who I want to be, I feel powerful. Being younger in an abusive or controlling situation, especially as a transperson, it takes alot of strength to learn to walk. The people I've met since coming out, from the very first person who accepted me to the ones who ridiculed me, have taught me how to be stronger and the masculine person I want to be. Even with everything going on, I see the strength in my stag, remember what obstacles I had to fight to even be me, and I remember the promise I made with this. Tattoos don't have to be so big, but as a first it's definitely my best decision."
"They remind me of the things I do just to make myself feel happy and beautiful."
"it reminded me that my body is my own and that i can do what I want with it. doing the correct aftercare for the tattoos also reminds me that it’s better to be gentle and loving with myself than rough."
"I get to put art of things i like on my body and makes me happy. my newest addition is a little paintbrush roller with the trans pride flag ♥️"
"Helps me feel more feminine"
"It's definitely one of my joys on the new journey. I have it from my incredible tattoo artist and also my beautiful girlfriend. This tattoo is me, in my swim trunk and with top surgery scar. The best imagination of myself even at that time, I still had not started my transition yet. This one is almost 2 years and I will soon have my top surgery like my dream. That is why it means a lot to me."
Are you interested in connecting with more people in your community? The FOLX Community Platform provides community support and connection for FOLX members, including chat, support groups, events, resources, and more. If you would like to know more about our community, read our article here.
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FOLX Health is the first digital healthcare company designed by and for the LGBTQIA+ community. Our services include virtual primary care, gender-affirming hormone therapy including estrogen and testosterone (HRT), mental health care, sexual and reproductive health care, preventive care, and fertility consultations. FOLX memberships give you access to LGBTQIA+ expert clinicians, peer support, thousands of LGBTQIA+ resources, and more. Whether you’re lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, gender non-conforming, or nonbinary, you can find LGBTQIA+-specialized health care that helps you meet your wellness goals. FOLX Health is health care that's queer all year. Get all the benefits of becoming a FOLX member and sign up today!
