To be cisgender is to be human, as is to be transgender. Now, politicians and religious organizations with agendas would lead you to believe otherwise, but facts are facts. Shakespeare once wrote;
“If you prick us, do we not bleed? if you tickle us, do we not laugh? if you poison us, do we not die? and if you wrong us, shall we not revenge?”
That’s a heavy human statement right there. Think about it: I’m trans; if you cut me, I’ll bleed just like a cisgender person, and inherently, if you don’t think transgender people are just like you, I will always refer you to that simple statement and this one glaring simple fact.
Every day in this country, someone is donating blood. That someone could very well be transgender.
This is where I come in. ⬇️
Consider this: if you find yourself in a life-or-death situation, are you going to be so hell-bent on not receiving a transgender person’s blood? Well, for your own survival, I should hope anyone wouldn’t function on that level of ignorance and accept a life-saving blood donation.
But then again, I’ve experienced a significant amount of anti-transgender sentiment in this country from those who call themselves leaders in the areas of government, religion, healthcare, employment, and basic human socialization. And for those, I will leave you with this information: here I am, a real-world transgender person-myself-giving back a surplus that I have of red blood cells to help save the lives of people who may very well think someone living with the gender identity that I have shouldn’t be entitled to live as they do, with full access to human and civil rights.
Here’s my blood in action (3 for 3):
Feb. 2026 (1 of 3)
Apr. 2026 (2 of 3)
Sept. 2026 (3 of 3)
Frankly, if someone needs my red blood cells to save them, why does it matter which restroom I use? It doesn’t. What matters in that moment is that someone like me was giving and consideration enough to meet the life needs of others. You see, when you place life into perspective like that, anti-trans hate and ignorance are glaringly obvious to be counterproductive to the collective human life experience, is it not?
Many people walk this earth and say they are people of faith. When those same individuals start acting as such toward those who are different from themselves, that’s when they’ll truly be a person of faith because they’ll be powerful enough to believe in the power of the unity of real people who walk this earth every day beside them and develop enough empathy to treat them with respect, dignity, and equality, not just to sympathize but to understand humanity on a personal level truly.
I am transgender. I have saved a few lives; I know most of them are probably cisgender if we’re going off of population statistics. I hope that one day perhaps this country will recognize once and for all that the blood running through the veins of transgender people such as myself is on the same side of humanity and that we are deserving of inclusion, dignity, respect, and equal human and civil rights.
Until that day comes, here’s where I’m at in terms of giving back my physical body to those less fortunate.
Dylan Thomas Cotter Red Cross blood donation destination map. (2026)
When was the last time you donated blood, plasma, red blood cells, or gave a transgender person any kindness?
Think about it and then act accordingly.
ABOUT DYLAN THOMAS COTTER:
Rebel with a cause, driven by authenticity, self-expression, and liberation for all.
Rev. Dylan Thomas Cotter is a strategist, public relations leader, and brand communications executive with more than fifteen years of experience at the intersection of entertainment, media, and technology.
Cotter is known for securing numerous Tier 1 (top-tier) and Tier 2 media placements across key markets including but not limited to:
The Associated Press, Fortune, Playboy, GQ, Rolling Stone, ABC News, Out Magazine, The Advocate, Pride, Inked Magazine, Real Simple, VICE, KTLA, Reader’s Digest, Mashable, Yahoo! News, Yahoo! Life UK, Newsweek, Men’s Health, Parade Magazine, Betches, U.S. News & World Report, Women’s Health Magazine, Women.com, South China Morning Post, Truthout, MIC, The Manual, Curl Magazine, International BusinessTimes UK, TechRound, GB News, The Irish Star US, The Mirror US, Daily Express U.S., MSN, AOL, UNILAD, Morning Honey, News9Live, Business Times, ClickOrlando, News4JAX, East Bay Times, Newsday, Midland Reporter-Telegram, El Paso Inc., SRN News, WRAL, Marietta Daily Journal, Yahoo, YourValley, Henry Herald, Times Union, TheIndependent, INkl, Netscape, WSB Radio, Taylorville Daily News, The Seattle Times, FOX Illinois, The Gazette, Stamford Advocate, New Haven Register, CT Post, Lakeland Today, SFGATE, WSLS 10, NC News Online, Courier News, Delco Times, The Republic, StarBeacon, Daily Journal, Temple Daily Telegram, The Toronto Star, WJTV, Winnipeg FreePress, KFOR, TribLIVE, The Hour, KTAR, WTOP, Daily Press, MyStateline, SeattlePI, NewsChannel 20, The Mercury News, Oskaloosa Herald, The Korea Times, MyNorthwest, Greenfield Reporter, Antigo Journal, Voice of Alexandria, Union-Bulletin, Gwinnett Daily Post, WBAL, WVNews, YourSourceOne, WINK News, Mankato Free Press, Audacy, Goshen News, KRQE, HNG News, CBS 17, FOX 40, KSNT, Western SlopeNow, FOX 44 News, KDVR, News 13, WGN Radio, NVDaily, MyMotherLode.com, The Hamilton Spectator, Daily News-Record, The Washington Times, KTVO, DailyIndependent, WFMJ, Fine Day Radio, WSB-TV, Local 10, Messenger-Inquirer, Click2Houston, The News-Item, KSAT, OA Online, KIRO 7, The Sun Chronicle, KARK, RiverBender, Laredo Morning Times, San Francisco Chronicle, The News-Times, CTInsider, Beaumont Enterprise, Manistee News Advocate, The Telegraph, Michigan’s Thumb, Chron, KHQA, The Intelligencer, EverythingLubbock, The Virginian-Pilot, MyPlainview, Your Conroe News, GMToday, WFMZ, SSBCrack News, Wenatchee World, News 10, Emirates 24/7, VIN News, Hartford Courant, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Silicon Valley, Ground News, Japan Today, The Washington Post, Boston 25 News, Butler Eagle, Livingston Enterprise, Ottumwa Courier, Dayton Daily News, LimaOhio, Guard Online, 990 The Answer, Indianapolis Business Journal, PHL17, ABC27, EDGE Media Network, Telemundo Nebraska, The Columbian, 1010 WINS, WPHT, KY W Newsradio, WB C O Radio, WBBM Newsradio, KMOX, WWJ Newsradio, KNX News 97.1 FM, WTIC, WWL, KMBZ, WILK Newsradio, WBEN, Talk 1370, WPXI, Times Leader, ABC4
His latest books, Dear Cisgender Reader Walk Beside Me: An Invitation to Understanding My Big, Exciting Gay Transgender Life and Think Like a Transgender Thought Leader, are out now.