Transitioning alone is common. A Phoenix-based group aims to help that.

In an unassuming recreation room in downtown Phoenix, members of Trans Spectrum AZ gather community members of all genders. The goal is simple, in theory: to host queer-focused peer support groups that can actually change a life. 

Since gender has become a heavily politicized and policed issue, TSAZ is a respite, peer support members said. And it’s there in that small rec room in Roosevelt Row where people can experience something new, find community, and learn more about themselves and their neighbors.

Since 2014, the volunteer-run nonprofit organization has been holding space in the First Church UCC Phoenix—though the group is not religiously affiliated—in order to provide resources, community, and support to transgeneder, non-binary, and gender-expansive individuals, as well as SOFFAs (Significant Others, Friends, Family and Allies of trans peoples). 

In addition, TSAZ has partnered with The Queer Center to host events that are focused less on the problems in the community, and instead promote joy and fun. This past summer, they threw a trans-friendly pool party at FOUND:RE Hotel, a gender-expansive fashion show, and a carwash with the Arizona Ballroom Coalition. 

LOOKOUT spoke with TSAZ Board Member Jay Brown about the effects of the peer support groups, the transformative power of community and visibility, what allies can learn from engaging, and the importance of finding your authentic self. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.