On Trans Day of Visibility, Do More Than Make Yourself Seen

The reality is that visibility alone will not set us free. There can be a lot of pressure to be out and proud in every sphere for the express purpose of gaining more social and political acceptance. But this can actually render invisible the risks and costs of being expelled, fired, evicted, or denied medical treatment just for being who you are. This is especially true for trans people of color, poor trans people, those with disabilities or HIV/AIDS, or who are undocumented, don’t speak English, have criminal records, or are in abusive relationships — all of them at exponentially and disproportionately higher risk of experiencing violence and discrimination if they are also perceived to be transgender.