Transgender Day of Visibility 2022
“Because you made my life, my very existence, political.” this is my answer when I’m asked, “Why are you so political in your social media?” I have no choice but to be political, because it has been decided that trans people have to prove that we deserve to exist in this world. The barrage of legislation that is being brought up and passed that says trans people are not valid and should have restricted access to healthcare, sports, and just being able to be themselves without constantly fighting at every turn to exist is exhausting.
It was because of all this negative energy being lobbed at the trans community that I shifted the focus of Proud Family Portraits to that of creating a loving, caring, nurturing, and affirming space for LGBTQ people, with a very heavy focus on trans and non-binary individuals. Our community deserves to have a space that allows the freedom to be ourselves. That is what I aim to do for every person that comes to work with me. To ensure that you can get to who you are and express that in your portrait session. Having the chance to show up and wear what makes you feel good about yourself. Being able to be free, and at least for a little while, able to see your true self come shining through. In a world that is so set on making your existence harder, you deserve to have a space that let’s you be able to celebrate yourself, exactly as you are.
This is why I decided to make it an annual event to hold a portrait series that celebrates trans people. To help show that we are just ordinary people trying to live our everyday lives. Being trans is part of who we are, but it isn’t the sole thing that defines us.
So why make a project specifically for Transgender Day of Visibility(TDOV)? Well to put it simply, because there is so much hate and misinformation around what it means to be trans that I want to counter balance that with beautiful images of trans people and the people that love them. Transgender simply means that the individual does not identify with the gender that was assigned to them at birth based on nothing more than their genitals. Gender is far more complex than that, but I digress. If you are not transgender then you are cisgender. This isn’t a slur, even if I have seen some very vile reactions to being called cisgender. All it means to be cisgender is that you identify with the gender that was assigned to you at birth. That’s it! Nothing more and nothing less.
TDOV is about celebrating the existence of and lifting up the voices of trans people. Allowing them the space to tell their stories and to celebrate their existence. I very much mean that too, for as long as we have people that are vilifying being trans we must work to celebrate the existence of trans people in society. For as long as humans have existed there have been transgender people among the population. It just took years upon years to finally have the words to articulate the feelings and emotions tied around being transgender. This is why it seems like there is a rise in transgender people. Because people finally have the words to talk about their life experience. Because there are vocally supportive people and spaces that will harbor trans individuals in love and kindness. There isn’t an influx in trans people, there is a greater understanding of the human experience.
We must be vigilant in fighting for the rights of transgender people. Transgender youth are the highest risk group for suicide. With the way that legislation is being passed across the country it is not very shocking why trans youth would feel such despair. They are told they don’t know what they are and that it is just a phase. They are told that they are deviants and excluded from sports because of “biological advantages” which has been proven to not be a real thing.
Giving trans youth and adults alike the ability to see images of happy, thriving trans people is something that I feel to be vital to helping quell their fear of not being able to have a wonderful life. Seeing reflected back at them, trans people out in the world able to exist fully as themselves. While there are hardships that many had to endure, it was worth it to persevere.
To any person that is reading this that is questioning and coming to understand their gender identity, you are valid. You’re not an abomination, and so worthy of being loved. It may not be safe for you right not to be able to fully present and identify as your true self, but there are spaces in this world that will welcome you with open arms. When it is safe, and in your own time you have a community that loves you and wants to see you become everything you are capable of being. You’re not broken. You’re not a deviant. You’re not “just confused.” You are absolutely wonderful, and exactly the person you were brought into this existence to be.
