Trans Day of Visibility: I see you!

While today is important for religious holiday reasons, it is important for another reason as well. Every March 31st since 2009 has been known as the International Trans Visibility Day. Which seeks to celebrate the living people in the Trans and nonbinary communities. NPR has a great article that talks about the history of the day and it’s founder which you can read here…

https://www.npr.org/2024/03/30/1241589753/transgender-day-of-visibility-rachel-crandall-crocker

As a nonbinary human being, this day, and the International Trans Day of remembrance held November 22nd  are very important to me. I am not Trans, but I know what it’s like to have to hide who you are from people who don’t understand and from people who are unsafe, even if those people are your loved ones.

While we are already in the year 2024 and the situation is better in some ways for Trans and gender non conforming people, at least in some places in the world, things are also still really scary right now for Trans and gender non-conforming people.

Rights that our ancestors and mentors in the community fought so hard to secure are being taken away or restricted in some parts of even developed countries like the U.S., parents are being charged with child abuse for giving their children basic gender affirming care, Trans women and girls are being bared from participating in sports as the gender that they best identify with, drag preformers are being demonized by people who don’t understand them, and target got backlash just for supplying trans friendly bathing suits.

In many parts of the world, it is simply illegal for Trans people to exist as they are, and if they are found out, they face harsh penalties, which may include death. If some lawmakers could have their way, it would be like that everywhere.

But today, here we are, gender non-conforming and Trans people, continuing to exist and fight all throughout the world. We don’t stop being ourselves just because some people in the world don’t fully accept us. Today is a day to stand up proud and tall as we remain ready to fulfill that need we have to survive and thrive in a world that tries to keep us down.

It took me until last year to feel totally ready to be fully out and proud of who I am, but now that I am, I’m not going back to hiding. For some this might not be a possibility right now, I know I am in a place of privilege because while not everyone in my family is accepting, my biggest supporters still support me fully even if they Don fully understand everything I go through. And the family that doesn’t support me, either is not safe to have in my life for other reasons, so I cut them out already, or the others who aren’t supportive may not like it, but they wouldn’t hurt me because of it.

For many people they are either still young and living with their family, or living with their family for other reasons at whatever age, and can’t come out or they will be abandoned or kicked out, they maybe in a place geographically where they will face harsh punishments or other violence if they come out (that is not anything I would wish for anybody even if that meant staying in hiding until it was safe to come out), or they may just have any other reason for not feeling ready to come out. That is perfectly fine too.

We all do on our own personal journey of self-discovery it is up to us when we hit whatever milestones we hit. That includes when we come out about who we are and how we want to live our lives. I know I feel much freer and happier now that I am fully out, but again, I have the privilege of living in New York where Trans and gender non-conforming rights are better protected for now.

In any case, to those of you out and proud, and to those of you not out yet, or not fully out yet, (no shame if that is you) I see you, and I am proud of you! You are not alone, and there are people in this world who do care what happens to you.