International Transgender Day of Visibility March 31

One of the biggest threats to the LGBTQ community is the ignorance of those who are outside it. And even some within it.

Gender-spectum individuals – trans and genderfluid and agender and bigender and other non-cis folk – are at the highest risk. They are represented in the public mind by a very small number of individuals (and not always well-represented.)

I saw a post recently from a random guy who claimed that he only hung out with “real men” and was sure he didn’t know anyone trans. Well, perhaps he should read about Kristin Beck – a transwoman with a 20-year career as a Navy SEAL. While her teammembers were on active duty around the world with Senior Chief Beck, they probably would have claimed not to know any trans individuals either. (http://www.beck4congress.us/about.html)

So many people don’t see gender-spectum individuals as ordinary people living side by side with them. Kids like mine. Adults like Kristin. Judges (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victoria_Kolakowski). Medical device consultants (http://www.basicrights.org/news/lived-split-life/). Comedians like Eddie Izzard (http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2016/03/15/watch-eddie-izzard-perfectly-explains-his-gender-while-getting-his-nails-done/). Gospel Singers (http://www.ew.com/article/2016/03/01/little-axe-transgender-gospel-singer-short-film?iid=sr-link10)

We urgently need to share information. Visibility. Just like the bad old days when Americans could say “I don’t know any real, ordinary person who is gay/lesbian”, we are hearing the same thing now. “They’re not people like me, with ordinary needs, like a safe bathroom.”

Please, today, somewhere on your own social media, or in your life, with your family or co-workers, share something about Transgender visibility. Help us build a world where it’s not okay to check someone’s underwear, genes, or birth certificate to decide who they are and what they are allowed to do. Knowledge is understanding. Knowledge is power.