WHEN LOVE Transcends

Looking for, finding, and nurturing love—or, honestly, any kind of romantic intimacy—can be arduous for anyone at any time. But for transgender people in America right now, the hurdles have become near stratospheric.

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Since January, nearly every U.S. state has introduced at least one piece of anti-trans legislation—collectively, 800+ bills have targeted everything from education to health care to marriage to legal status, as personal safeties and freedoms of expression remain under attack. It’s a fraught terrain in which to date, hook up, DTR, fall in love, or hold on to romance with everything you have. And yet.

As Trans Love in 2025, a special project by Cosmopolitan, shows, there is still plenty to celebrate. Namely, the resilience and hope and wisdom and joy of the trans community as its members go about navigating every aspect of love in a challenging time. Through substantive interviews and deeply personal essays, trans people share what it's like to be out and about searching for love (and lots of fun, like Dylan Mulvaney, Josie Totah, and Miss Benny, at left and on the next page), to sift through a decade-plus of dating stories for magical moments (as Raquel Willis does on page 74), to reflect on how transitioning can affect relationships (read Jude Harris's words on page 76), and more. To see the entire collection, visit Cosmopolitan.com/trans-love this June.

Hair by Zenobia Imani Teague. Makeup by Dani Parkes at Exclusive Artists.

Everything best friends Dylan Mulvaney, 28, Josie Totah, 23, and Miss Benny, 26, know about dating comes from another set of very well-known best friends—Carrie Bradshaw, Samantha Jones, Charlotte York, and Miranda Hobbes. The real-life trio likes to emulate their fictional icons and dating blueprint,