Trans Community Finds Refuge in Detroit: 'Looking Good, Feeling Great' Empowers Transmasculine Individuals

Attendees find understanding, camaraderie in a challenging political era

Stand With Trans AP 23 — Mr. Trans Michigan 2024 Derek Davis. Photo: Andrew Potter

Published: August 5, 2024 | Last Updated: August 5, 2024

Outside, abrasive rhetoric and assumptions toward trans individuals are becoming horrifically commonplace in American politics. But inside Common Haus in Pleasant Ridge on the morning of July 28, trans men and transmasculine individuals found a way to escape the noise and have thoughtful conversations on identity. Stand With Trans and Mr. Trans Michigan 2024 Derek Davis partnered to host “Looking Good, Feeling Great,” a discussion focused on transmasculine presentation and prepping.

Davis said simply being present at events like these can showcase hope for younger trans men. “I think it's important because a lot of kids don't realize that we [trans individuals] exist — that we do grow up to be successful adults,” Davis said. “We want to try to make their journey easier than ours was.”

The attendees of “Looking Good, Feeling Great” will be the first to say that spaces like these aren’t only for youth. Attendee Luckey Weathers said that the space felt safe and open for all ages. “I’m in my 40s and when I was younger, there was nothing like this,” Weathers said. “It's amazing. It feels very safe. It feels like a place where you can be natural and not worry about saying something and people not understanding.”

Davis said he had noticed that there were more gender-affirming events for transfeminine individuals than there were for transmasculine folks. He said he wanted to provide a space for all of those within the transmasculine realm who might not have received the access to these vital resources.

“I know a lot of trans women, and I see a lot of workshops directed toward them — makeup, hair, feminization and other things like that,” he said. “I never was seeing a workshop for what I'm doing here for transmasculine men.”

Davis invited stylists from queer-supportive salons, including V Cuts Detroit in Hazel Park, to discuss beard and hair grooming tips while Davis fielded skincare questions — he even took the floor as a model for a beard-trimming demonstration.

Attendee Julian Apfelblat said the event was more about being around fellow transmasculine individuals than any workshop tips. “I get a lot out of spending time with everybody,” Apfelblat said. “It helps one feel less isolated. I’m only nine months into my transition, but to find places that have people you can really relate to is very helpful.”

The event was more of an open house rather than a stilted presentation, with attendees asking questions at will and laughing over shared experiences.

“This is specifically for transmasculine people and I think that there’s something even more comforting with having this extremely specific group,” Weathers said. “I think we all have a lot of similar experiences and questions that we might only want to ask in a group dynamic of people like this.”

Mr. Trans Michigan Derek Davis. Photo: Andrew Potter

Davis said it’s necessary to consider whose voices are being heard. “It's important for trans people to speak on the trans experience because cisgender people cannot speak on our experience and they shouldn't be speaking on our experience,” Davis said.

He added that, in his eyes, a good trans ally should instead be listening and showing active support. “When someone starts their journey — changing pronouns, changing your name — that’s hard for everyone. It’s not just hard for a trans person, it’s hard for everyone,” Davis said. “It’s how you handle that change that makes you an ally or not. If you are actively learning and actively making the effort to respect people's pronouns, respect their names and their journey, then that is active support.”

Stand With Trans partnered with many different businesses and organizations to physically show their support. Binders, haircare products, rolls of TransTape and packing underwear were all given away to attendees through a raffle. Not one attendee left empty-handed or without a smile.

As the event began to wind down for the day, Davis said he hoped more events like this one would occur in the future. “I hope to continue doing events like this to really make sure that everyone's journey can be as easy as possible, “ Davis said. “We know the world is not a nice place, and if I can help at all to make someone's journey easier, I would absolutely love to do that.”