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{ A LITTLE INSITE ON A LIFE } BY CHLOE CORCORAN I PHOTO BY SARA SAVILLA
Transgender Day of VISIBILITY
Transgender Day of Visibility was March 31st. It is variously meant to be a day for celebration of trans identities, raising awareness about these identities, and recognizing the accomplishments of trans people. This day is a joyous occasion but, as I write about it, I find myself wondering when I am not visible. For those who are getting a little tired of me writing about the discrimination faced by trans people, and especially trans women, I promise you that I am just as tired of dealing with it. This year, on Transgender Day of Visibility, I found myself in Buffalo. A public stand against the most recent ban on transgender men and women serving in the military was taken, thanks to the We Exist Coalition of Buffalo (if you’re trans and in Buffalo, definitely look them up). I spoke out specifically against this ban and, more globally, against the many injustices faced by trans people in the world. Still, I have to remind myself that it’s only been 17 months since I have publicly transitioned. I have gone from a terrified, closeted woman to one who would dare to stand up for herself, and her community, at a public monument. Prior to those 17 months, I saw the difficulties trans women face. Within those past 17 months, I have experienced them myself. I am always visible, and people let me know it. Many things have changed, and some have stayed the same. The focus put on us by an administration who would have us neither heard nor seen has increased the harassment and stares I have felt. People feel emboldened in their hate, virtuous in their cause against us, and steadfast in their belief that we don’t belong in public. These people are wrong. But what I have learned, and emphasized, the most in the past 17 months, is that representation matters. I am often told that I am the first trans woman that many people have met, and it’s a magazine experience for many of them: “Trans people – They’re Just Like Us!” Despite what is said about us from the top levels of government, we are neither a burden nor a distraction. We are people. Just like you. And we want to
live our lives just like you. To be honest, I know that we as a society aren’t there yet. I have to stand up because it is the right thing for me to do. I have to speak out because our words need to be heard. Not just by other trans people, afraid and hoping to one day come out, but by our cisgender allies and the cisgender people who would move against us. Though many of us may be afraid, we will speak through these fears to stand up for each other. What touched me most about my time in Buffalo was not the event, though the support nearly brought me to tears. It wasn’t the amazing speakers, the elected officials, and the supportive crowd. It was my mom. It was my cousin and his girlfriend. It was my friend with her fiancée. They came to see me speak, and they cheered me on. And this is love. This is love that I never expected to receive 18 months ago, and this is love that I hope I have earned. But even more touching than my family, the one I was born into and the one I’ve chosen, being at the event was what we did after the event. We went to lunch. Why is going to lunch a big deal? Well, people stare. Hard and often. Again, as the first trans woman that many people have seen “in the wild”, it happens a lot. Sometimes it is simple curiosity, and sometimes it’s more insidious. At times, the people with me notice it, and other times they don’t. But my family didn’t seem to care, and that’s what is important. We met up with two other cousins and had a wonderful lunch. I am fortunate to know the people I do. It can be easy to focus on the difficulties we face because they are so grave and numerous, so it is also important to remember and celebrate simple joys. So this article, in addition to being a reminder about some of our difficulties, is also a thank you note. To the people in my life who have stuck by me during my worst times, I thank you. To the people who have come into my life since I have transitioned, you mean the world to me. To my family who has embraced me, immediately or over time, I love you. ROCHESTER WOMAN ONLINE :: APRIL 2018
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