Trans Day of Visibility: Finding Courage in Visibility

A lot of us grew up not knowing a single other trans person. Some of us grew up not knowing that trans people even existed. We lacked the language to describe our experience, and had no-one who could understand us. So today, on Trans Day of Visibility, we remember how important it is to be seen by others. The relief of knowing you’re not alone, the joy in finding words to describe yourself, the reassurance that there are others like you out there - these are the gifts that visibility grants us. By living your life authentic and free, you show people that they are not alone. You encourage them, and show them that transition is not only possible, but liberating.

By remaining visible – by refusing to conform to societal pressures – we normalize ourselves in society. What was once “taboo” becomes “disgraceful”, what was once “disgraceful” becomes “inappropriate”, and what was once “inappropriate” becomes “ordinary”. It’s easy to scandalize an individual, but harder to scandalize a demographic. As more of us start living our lives publicly in our local communities, more people get to know us. It de-mystifies us. We are no longer a faceless entity - we are regular, everyday people who go grocery shopping, who work boring jobs, who put out our wheely bins every week. Years pass by, and our neighbours stop thinking of us as “trans”, and start just thinking of us as ourselves. We become another mundane part of everyday life. 

Eventually, our visibility gets reciprocated. Not only do we become seen, but our allies show themselves too. With “Trans rights” stickers on public streetlights, pride flags in store windows, or non-binary options on digital forms, the public reassures us that we are not only seen, but supported. Johnny next door doesn’t want to see his neighbour mistreated, the local supermarket doesn’t want customers to feel unwelcome, businesses don’t want good workers to avoid applying. As we become accepted by society, we become valued and encouraged by society.

All of this comes from making ourselves visible. Visibility in and of itself can bring about change. Over time, and across different scales, each and every one of us contributes to shifting societal opinions. Whether you take to the streets and march for healthcare, or quietly build relationships in your community - visibility in the face of adversity is a radical act of resistance. Regardless of your scale, you make an impact on those who see you, and those who get to know you.

For maximum impact, we would urge everyone who is able to speak to their TDs. We live in a democracy, and as such the best way to advocate for change is to make yourself visible to your elected representatives. Show them that “trans rights” isn’t some abstract concept, but a very real issue that is affecting their own constituents. It’s one thing to hear stories of how inadequate our healthcare is in Ireland - but completely different when you can put faces to the people impacted by it. So please, consider finding your local TDs and reaching out to them. Tell them how poor our access to healthcare is, and let them know how the government can help. You could also print out our policy briefs to hand to your TD.