I’m Valerie McLaurin (she/her). I was born and raised in the Carolinas and have always wrestled with the expectations of Southern femininity and masculinity. I feel extremely thankful to have participated in this project as someone who thinks deeply about two of the major themes woven throughout: what it means to be a Southerner, and the complexities of gender. The generous honesty of many of those consulted with and interviewed allowed me to interrogate my own role as a member and ally of the LGBTQ+ community. I hope that this publication will allow others to do the same. 

I received my BA in Sociology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and my MA in Liberal Studies with a concentration in History from Coastal Carolina University. I will pursue a PhD in History with a certificate in Women’s Studies at the University of Georgia beginning in Fall 2019. 

I worked as a Graduate Assistant on this project. My contributions included interviewing, transcribing, researching, editing, and organizing workshops. The collaborative exercise of documenting the experiences of trans individuals in the Southern US resulted in many discussions of the nature of objectivity, archival work, allyship, and gender that will forever shape my understanding of individuality and communities. Stories like these are crucial for us to have a better understanding of ourselves, our local history, and our role in the larger world.