“Just getting out of bed is a revolutionary act”: The resilience of transgender people of color who have survived traumatic life events.

This study was a phenomenological and feminist investigation of the resilience of transgender people of color who have experienced a wide range of traumatic life events (e.g., hate crimes, intimate partner violence, child sexual abuse). Eleven transgender people of color (6 African American, 3 Latino/a, 2 Multiracial) participated in semistructured interviews (60-90 minutes each) exploring their expression of resilience in response to traumatic life events. Findings included six major themes common among all participants: (a) pride in one’s gender and ethnic/racial identity, (b) recognizing and negotiating gender and racial/ethnic oppression, (c) navigating relationships with family, (d) accessing health care and financial resources, (e) connecting with an activist transgender community of color, and (f) cultivating spirituality and hope for the future. Specific clinical and advocacy implications for trauma work with this group are provided.