Listening to the voices of black trans men and transmasculine people in Detroit: community strengths and challenges.

Background: Few transmasculine health studies have actively engaged members of the community in a participatory process of identifying the health-related issues that are most salient to their lives. Seldom have existing studies have focused their inquiries on the unique experiences of Black transgender men and transmasculine individuals. To address the unique physical and mental health needs of Black transgender men and transmasculine people in the U.S., members of these communities need to be actively engaged in all phases of the research process. Methods: Through a participatory process with a community-based organization, three community forums were conducted ( Results: Four themes arose across the three community forums: strengths, challenges, health topics, and program needs and recommendations. Across all four themes, participants contextualized their responses at multiple levels, from individual to cultural and structural. Conclusion: This work emphasizes the importance of bringing the voices of Black transgender men and transmasculine people to the center, allowing them to voice their own needs to shape future research and funding agendas. Future directions of research, intervention, and funding initiatives need to prioritize work conducted by and for Black transgender men and transmasculine populations to create sustainable, long-term solutions to address structural oppression faced by this population.