cover art by Pseudonym Jones
"A Trans Person Made Your Puzzle" is a collection of crossword and variety puzzles written, edited, test-solved, and typeset by trans and nonbinary people, in support of US-based transgender charities. This collection, started by trans crossword constructor Ada Nicolle, is a celebration of trans joy and culture through crossword puzzles.
Click here for an interview with the Halifax Examiner about our work with this puzzle pack.
Update from July 8, 2025:
Hey y'all, Ada here! I'd like to that the community from the bottom of my heart for all the support you've shown our listed charities, our puzzlemakers, and this project as a whole. At the beginning of June, our goal was surpassing $5,000 in donations; we finished Pride Month with just over $25,000 raised for American trans charities.
To celebrate this milestone, every donor of this project, regardless of donation amount, will be receiving a collection of bonus puzzles! These include some very fun midis by Jenna LaFleur and Aspen Wu, cryptics written by Pascal von Fintel and Iris (and edited by crossword legend Francis Heaney), and a 21x themeless constructed by me! As I work on getting those sent, though, check out the trans mega-collab on this very page :)
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On a more serious note: I hope people continue to support trans charities long after these puzzles are solved. The political climate of the last couple years has been terrifying to exist in, and oftentimes it feels like hate is going to win. This project reminded me that'll never happen. Trans people will keep existing loudly and proudly, trans people will keep getting the healthcare we need, and trans people will keep making your puzzle.
I'd like to shout out my co-editors Sara Cantor and Francis Heaney for their invaluable work on this project, as well as everybody involved in some capacity (constructing, test-solving, typesetting, donating) for making this dream project possible. Thank you.
Trans rights are human rights, forever.
Ada Nicolle (she/her)
Grid constructed by Sara Cantor, and inspired by Frisco17 and Gizmo Thwomp's "Just One Clue" series (Puzzle 1, Puzzle 2)
The rights of trans people are under attack in the United States. As of March 31st, 2025, there are 736 active anti-trans bills, and the United States currently carries a "Do Not Travel" rating for transgender people.
While many people consider trans existence merely "political," we're here to say one thing: trans people have always existed, and we will continue to exist. These puzzles are a reflection of that.
Ada Nicolle (she/her) is a professional crossword constructor based in Toronto, Canada. When she's not making puzzles, she can be found making music in her apartment, performing comedy around the city, or hanging out with her cat Juice Box.
Sara Cantor (they/them) is a reformed theater kid based in Denver, Colorado. They used to have interests but now all they do is hang out with their cats, Egg & Cheese, and show pictures of those cats to others.
Francis Heaney (he/they) is executive editor of Puzzlewright Press and a contributing editor and constructor for AVCX Classic and AVCX Cryptic. Their puzzles have also appeared in Games, the New York Times, and various other places, and they have written/edited/contributed to many books, including “Grids Just Wanna Have Fun,” “Escape Room Logic Puzzles,” and “Squid Game Book of Games.” Their favorite brand of eyeshadow is Cosmic Brushes.
Ariel Haymarket (it/they/she) is the nom de guerre of a teacher and crossword constructor from Houston, Texas. Its puzzles, frequently independently published, have been described as "pure chaos and unrepentant sadism" (as a compliment).
Aspen Wu (he/they/any) is a student and very occasional crossword constructor from New Jersey. When not working on a puzzle, he can be found taking pictures of his cats, dyeing his hair, and (trying to) work on getting his degrees in microbiology and animal science.
Benjamin Panico (he/they) is a trans-masc, agender human living in Oakland, California. Ben has been constructing crosswords since 2023 and works as a health policy researcher for Out2Enroll. In his free time, Ben plays guitar, tends to his many plants, and maintains a travel blog at wheresbenbeen.com. Ben comes from a large Italian-American family based near New Haven, Connecticut, and has a lot to say about who makes the best pizza.
carly they themsen (she/her/hers) js a gay nerd from chjcago. Her cat stepped on her keyboard too hard and she cant type the letter between u and o
Danielle (she/her) is a research associate based in Glasgow in the UK. She recently submitted her PhD thesis, which she somehow managed to write while figuring out she was trans at the same time. When she isn't thinking about programming languages she can also be found playing the piano - and, of course, solving crosswords.
Iris (they/she) is an online cryptic crossword maker based in Boston, Massachusetts. When not trying to make anagrams out of random words on street signs, you can find them hiking, playing guitar, or standing very still in wetlands looking for cool birds.
January (she/her) is a silly trans dyke and Jewish settler born on Treaty 1 Territory and currently residing in so-called Toronto. When not puzzling through puzzles, she can also be found competing in card game tournaments or cuddling her adorable black cat Genevieve.
Jenna LaFleur (she/they) is a crossword speed-solver from Washington, DC. Follow her at @jennalafleur.bsky.social (or don’t; she’s not the boss of you). Trans liberation now, trans liberation forever 🌟
meatdaddy69420 (they/them) is a large puddle of red goo currently living in Queens, New York. In their spare time, meatdaddy69420 enjoys sunsets, long walks on the beach, and absorbing residents of a small Pennsylvania town into their horrible, writhing mass.
Pascal von Fintel (they/them) recently finished a master’s degree in computer science and cybersecurity. They enjoy various forms of social dance, including contra, waltz, and fusion. They’ve been constructing puzzles for a little under 1 year, and have a sparse blog at pjvf.me, which, in addition to the occasional puzzle, houses reflections on mental health and meditation.
Sid (use my name) makes, edits, and typesets puzzles, and lives in St. Louis, MO.
Thea Kendal (it/its) was born in Vermont, where it first found itself fascinated by writing and puzzles. Thea has had a crossword published in the USA Today. When it's not puzzling, it is an avid worldbuilder for TTRPGs, having just started conceptualizing its eighth new world. Thea is currently based in Philadelphia, where it enjoys cooking for its polycule and playing with its pets. Thea's blog is raydeer-arts.blogspot.com.
vidhya aravind (she/her) is a South Indian, trans organizer based out of Michigan. When she's not organizing, she loves talking shop with other anarchists, games/puzzles of all sorts, and has recently taken up streaming. (Also she spends too much time brewing horrible pokemon teams, but don't tell her that.) Find her at https://bsky.app/profile/akatookey.bsky.social.
Rachel Calytrix (they/he, in a girl way/it) is an unsuccessfully recovering posting addict from Toronto, Canada. They like to dress up as and bark like a dog and speed-solve sudokus in their spare time, but they enjoy other grid-based puzzles too. Rachel holds the prestigious title of “Most ADHD in Ontario”, awarded to them by themselves. Follow them at @rccalytrix if you dare.
Sophie He (she/her) is based in Hong Kong. Please send money.
Receiving these puzzles is as simple as two steps:
Donate at least $10 USD to an American charity that aims to help transgender people (see list below).
Send your receipt to transxwords@gmail.com from the email where we should send your puzzle. (If you are sending the puzzles as a gift to someone else, please notify us in the email.)
In the meantime, join the Google Group to receive updates!
We're currently in the process of collecting a list of US charities to promote with this project. Our current list of charities:
Black and Pink is a prison abolitionist organization focused on liberating LGBTQ+ victims of the criminal punishment system
Dallas Hope Center is a Texas-based living center for homeless LGBTQ+ youth.
G.L.I.T.S. is a Black trans-led advocacy group based in New York City fighting systemic discrimination against marginalized communities.
Metro Trans Umbrella Group is a nonprofit helping trans people in Missouri and Illinois.
North Texas TRANSportation Network provides travel and relocation grants to North Texas families seeking out-of-state health care for trans and gender-expansive youth
Rainbow Railroad is a charity focused on getting LGBTQ+ people to safety.
The Trans Continental Pipeline is a queer relocation nonprofit based in Denver, Colorado.
The Trevor Project is a nonprofit organization focused on suicide prevention for LGBTQ+ youth.
Trans Lifeline is a nonprofit for and by trans people, focused on community support and resources for trans people.
If you want to recommend a charity for us to promote (especially for people in red states), please let us know via email!
While we also encourage you to support Canadian charities (or any trans charities outside of the US), this puzzle pack is strictly in support of American trans charities.