Ever wish there was a CliffsNotes guide for coming out as trans? Enter 'Hey! I'm Trans'

This National Coming Out Day, a brand new project is hitting the internet airwaves to help transgender people in a fun, celebratory and accessible way.

The new platform, called "Hey! I'm Trans," is a project launched in tandem with the non-profit Trans Lifeline. Described by its creator as something like a CliffsNotes guide to coming out as trans, the website is a treasure trove of quick, accessible information, from step-by-step guides to talking with family to email templates that can be customized and sent to coworkers.

With anti-trans laws, hate crimes and rhetoric continuing across the country, advocates say it's important this National Coming Out Day that trans people and other members of the LGBTQ+ community know there are communities and resources they can access.

Learn more about the new project here.

'Hey! I'm Trans': A CliffsNotes guide for coming out

Creative Director Maddi Sasso said that growing up, SparkNotes and CliffsNotes were her lifelines for getting through school. When she started the process of coming out as transgender to her friends, family, coworkers and acquaintances, she wondered why there wasn't a similar to-the-point guide she could reference.

"I was asking for advice but also reading all the things online, googling this and that, reading subreddits, all these different websites. It was information overload," she told USA TODAY. "That got me thinking, why isn't there something that's a little more like a guide but not a field guide?"

Sasso said that she began her transition a little later in life than some and the prospect aroused some fears. What would happen at work, would she lose her position? How would she come out to people in her life?

In a moment of serendipity, she got a new boss at her job as an art director at Small Army FINN Partners around that time, Chris Edwards, who happened to be a trans man. He became a support system, confidant and source of advice for Sasso, who said she felt ready to start sharing her identity with the world about a year into her transition.

While Edwards was a great help and the internet had a wealth of information, she started to feel overwhelmed by it all, especially because many stories she read online seemed more personal and harder to apply to her own unique situation.

"I thought, 'Why isn't there something a little more simple, a little more celebratory?' It's a topic that's going through the wringer at the moment, but at the end of the day it's your identity and your identity should be celebrated, because if you can't celebrate that, what are you doing?"

That's when she and Edwards approached Trans Lifeline, a nonprofit that connects trans people to community support and resources. The team over there loved it and development began in 2022.

With the help of copywriter Lindsey Rosenblatt, who is not herself trans but a "number one ally," Sasso, Edwards and the Trans Lifeline team set out to make a resource that reflected how personal and unique the experience of coming out is for each individual.

"We liked the idea of catering it to different parts of people's lives because the way that you come out to your best friend probably isn't the same you came out to your 'work wife' or whoever," Sasso said. "Whoever it may be, it's approached differently, there may be a more professional relationship, something more intimate, whatever. It can't be just a one-size-fits-all."

That's how the concept of "Hey! I'm Trans" was born.

Resources for all parts of life

The heyimtrans.com website is broken up into different sections for different facets of the coming out process.

One section, "Hey Fam," has info, tips, tricks and more both for trans people coming out to family and friends but also for family and friends looking to understand more. In it, you can find step-by-step tips for starting the process, a commonly asked questions cheat sheet, an "FYI for parents" and a family guidebook.

"We like to call it 'trans tested, mother approved' because when I told my mom I gave her that sheet...and she said it was so helpful," said Sasso. "She said she sent it to my aunts and everything so it was great testing."

"Hey Team" covers coming out at work and features not only a handy multi-phase plan but also two email templates, one more playful and one more professional, that can be copied, pasted and customized.

Again, these templates were tested by Sasso herself, who spent an entire weekend agonizing over the email she was going to send at her own workplace.

"You can almost certainly tell the people you're closest with at work in your own way, but eventually it's almost like I wanted to pull the band-aid off so everyone knew," she said.

"Hey World" is for everyone else, like acquaintances or people you're friends with on social media. Along with tips on how to engage online in a way that prioritizes mental health, the section also has social media templates that can be customized and used to make personal posts.

"Again, sometimes it may be best to rip the band-aid off and maybe it's just in a social media post, you can make it a celebration," Sasso said.

On the site, users can find the template which comes with a filter, along with the option to generate an image along with a "Hey, I'm" tag where users can put in their new names and pronouns and choose from a few pre-written messages or write their own. These can then be downloaded in formats that work for posting on platforms like Instagram or a taller version that is better for posting to a social media story.

The "Allies" section is just what it sounds like – a place for people who want to be the best allies they can be to learn more about how to do that. Filled with simple tips and links to further reading, the page also has a social media format users can customize to proudly display their allyship.

Users never have to enter an email address or any other personal information to use these resources, Sasso emphasized. It's not about collecting anyone's information but making them feel safe to use the platform.

Trans Lifeline and more resources

While "Hey! I'm Trans" is meant to provide a down-and-dirty way of getting simplified information more quickly, each page of the site links out to plenty of other resources for those looking to dive even deeper.

Many of these go back to Trans Lifeline, which offers everything from hotlines and grants to a resource library and volunteer opportunities. There are also links to other organizations, many of which work together to better aid the trans community.

Ultimately, Sasso says "Hey! I'm Trans" was conceived, born and tested via her own experiences transitioning and coming out. She wanted to give trans people a space that was a little more lighthearted, more "in-your-face" and loud and proud.

"I hope that this platform is something that can be helpful to other people coming out and also their friends and family and coworkers in their world," she said. "I hope that people find it useful and enjoy the way that it looks and the tone of it...it should be a celebration."

Check out "Hey! I'm Trans," launching on Oct. 11 at heyimtrans.com. Trans Lifeline can be found online at translifeline.org.