Kristie Overstreet is on a mission to ensure that the transgender community gets their health care needs met. In this informative, myth-busting talk, she provides a primer for understanding gender identity and invites us to shift how we view transgender health care -- so that everyone gets the respect and dignity they deserve when they go to a d...

Gender should be the least remarkable thing about someone, but transgender people are still too often misunderstood. To help those who are scared to ask questions or nervous about saying the wrong thing, Jackson Bird shares a few ways to think about trans issues. And in this funny, frank talk, he clears up a few misconceptions about pronouns, tr...

These talks celebrate and break down what it means to live outside society's traditional (and outdated) understanding of gender.

In this deeply personal talk, Jenna Weiner draws from her experiences as a transgender woman and college athlete to advocate for greater gender inclusivity in sports, a development that would benefit both athletes and the culture around them.

LB Hannahs candidly shares the experience of parenting as a genderqueer individual -- and what it can teach us about authenticity and advocacy. "Authenticity doesn't mean 'comfortable.' It means managing and negotiating the discomfort of everyday life," Hannahs says.

Tyler Gilmore is a veteran of the Marines who vocally expressed his support for the trans ban. In this episode Dylan connects him to Maddie Makara, a veteran who served for 16 years and recently came out as a trans woman (Audio Only).

Puberty is an awkward time for just about everybody, but for transgender teens it can be a nightmare, as they grow overnight into bodies they aren't comfortable with. In a heartfelt talk, Norman Spack tells a personal story of how he became one of the few doctors in the US to treat minors with hormone replacement therapy. By staving off the effe...

Trans actress, model and writer Hari Nef scrutinizes the concept of passing as a transgender woman and using feminization as a survival tactic. "Hair, makeup and nails keep us strong and safe; does that make us sellouts? Or survivors?" In her talk, Nef boldly investigates trans femininity, asking the question: Why are we shamed for being femme?

Schuyler Bailar thought the hardest part was over when he came out as transgender. But it turned out to be just the start of his journey toward acceptance as the first openly transgender athlete to compete on a Division 1 college men's team. In this talk, he explains what keeps him going through difficult times, whether it's a grueling practice,...

"I was the mystery of an anatomy, a question asked but not answered," says poet Lee Mokobe, a TED Fellow, in this gripping and poetic exploration of identity and transition. It's a thoughtful reflection on bodies, and the meanings poured into them.

CEO Ashley Clift-Jennings was dead set on finding her person in her mid-20s, and after a calculated search and whirlwind courtship, knew she could check off the 'soulmate' box. But when her husband came out as transgender, the fear of what others would think compelled her to reexamine the essence of that fabled true love. In this compassionate t...

Transgender activist and TED Resident Samy Nour Younes shares the remarkable, centuries-old history of the trans community, filled with courageous stories, inspiring triumphs -- and a fight for civil rights that's been raging for a long time. "Imagine how the conversation would shift if we acknowledge just how long trans people have been demand...

After bringing her son to a summer camp for gender-nonconforming children, photographer Lindsay Morris launched a project to share the campers' stories with the world. One of them, Reed J. Williams, is now a powerful advocate for transgender youth. Together, Morris and Williams reveal two sides to the LGBTQ+ experience — one as a mother, one as ...

Powerful, personal stories of sharing one's true identity with the world.

Paula Stone Williams knew from a young age that she was transgender. But as she became a parent and prominent evangelical pastor, she feared that coming out would mean losing everything. In this moving, deeply personal talk, Paula and her son Jonathan Williams share what Paula's transition meant for their family -- and reflect on their path to r...

Love is a tool for revolutionary change and a path toward inclusivity and understanding for the LGBTQ+ community. Married activists Tiq and Kim Katrin Milan have imagined their marriage -- as a transgender man and cis woman -- a model of possibility for people of every kind. With infectious joy, Tiq and Kim question our misconceptions about who ...

Nicole Maines is an actress and transgender rights activist known for her role on The CW show Supergirl.

To you, our present and future sons ...

TED Fellow Jawad Sharif was born with a rebellious streak -- and he's used it in his documentary films to amplify the unheard voices of Pakistan. Sharing three stories of everyday heroes -- a high-altitude mountaineer, a folk musician of a bygone instrument and the country's first transgender doctor -- Sharif shows how documentaries can be a spa...

After leading a well-established life as a pastor, father and husband, Paula Stone Williams could no longer deny her truth and transitioned. In this conversational and at times humorous reflection, Williams offers her perspective on the everyday experiences lost, gained and once taken for granted in her journey of trans womanhood.

Ivan Coyote believes that a good story can help inspire us to invent a better future.

At the crossroads of life and livelihood, scholar D-L Stewart invites us into scenes from his own life as he resists and reflects on the dehumanizing narratives that shape the Black trans experience in the US. With each word of his captivating and poetic dissection, Stewart emphasizes the magnitude and urgency of the rallying cry "Black trans li...

The path to adulthood is, at times, a rough one. These talks offer words of comfort and heaps of advice for those moments when life feels way too overwhelming.

In much of the world, gender is viewed as binary: man or woman, each assigned characteristics and traits designated by biological sex. But that's not the case everywhere, says France Villarta. In a talk that's part cultural love letter, part history lesson, he details the legacy of gender fluidity and inclusivity in his native Philippines -- and...

At Boston's Children Hospital, endocrinologist Norman Spack treats transgender teens to delay the effects of puberty.

Today Paula Stone Williams is a pastoral counselor and woman — but for the first 60 years of her life, Williams identified as male. After coming out as transgender in December 2012, Williams was swiftly fired from a position as an evangelical Christian leader. In this talk, she reflects about the male privilege she once had and how she's being t...

From the stage to everyday life, theater educator Jo Michael Rezes studies queer identity and the spectrum of gender performance — in its success and failure. Aided by a delightful introduction of campy charm, Rezes explores the freeing potential of playing with gender to better understand ourselves, each other and the spaces we inhabit.

Dear current and future daughters ...

This is our first episode of a new series — the TED Talks Daily Book Club. Join Elise as she interviews TED speakers about their books and their ideas beyond the page. First up: Geena Rocero, an award-winning producer, model, director and the author of "Horse Barbie: A Memoir." A stunning narrative at the center of transgender history and activi...

TED Resident Jackson Bird is using digital storytelling to demystify the transgender experience.