The national conversation about transgender people focuses mainly on access to bathrooms. But it’s not the only issue this minority group faces.

In Roanoke, Va., a thriving transgender community continues to grow. It’s a place where kinship networks replace biological families and drag performance is a form of self-expression. It’s also a place where legal protections are few and health care options are expensive.

Trans people who live in rural communities have stories to tell. And the truth behind the transgender experience in Roanoke is more complex than access to bathrooms.