Trans Day of Visibility: An Autostraddle Community Photo Gallery

Dee / 40 / she/her

Art Tumblr / Personal Tumblr

Being trans may have saved my life and my marriage. I transitioned so late, I barely knew what was going on with me. Since transitioning I’ve been able to see an actual future for myself. My wife and I became even closer thanks to my transition, and if anything we love each other more than ever. I try put into writing the experiences of a trans woman who started late, and has an unconventional narrative, and I try to be inclusive and intersectional. While I’m not an activist, I’m thoroughly visible and out everywhere, and I hope it helps other women like me feel safer to transition if they need to, and for anyone in general to express their gender identity however they are most comfortable doing.


Aeryn / 43 / UK / she/her

Twitter

I love that I can live my life as the me I always knew I was. I love that I don’t need to hide or pretend, I can just let go of the need to apply a label or identity, and just be myself, a human who is happy to also be trans. :)

Julian / 22 / they/them

Instagram / Tumblr

Being nonbinary means freedom for me. It means I don’t feel forced to accept what I don’t want to be, at least in my personal life. I can choose, and that is wonderful!


Al(aina) / 27 / Austin, TX / they/them/theirs/shawty

Twitter / Instagram / GoFundMe / Paypal

Being visible as a trans person means that every day I walk out of the house and blind everyone around me with my radiance. It’s a lot of power, but I’m learning how to wield it wisely.


Emily D. / Western Massachusetts / they/them

Since starting to come out, I’ve smiled wider and more often; my transness gives me the autonomy to define who I am and to fight harder for who I want to be. I love how being trans/non-binary connects me to a community of incredible, beautiful people willing to critique and confront the status quo, especially where gender is concerned. My transness has also brought me a peace with my body that I never thought possible, and for that I am eternally grateful.


barb morrison / nyc and la / they/them

Website / Instagram

The best part of being trans is that I get to help other trans musicians tell their story. There are endless amounts of talented musicians with stories that can empower the trans community and I am making it my life goal to get as many of those out and into the light as possible. So much of our progress depends on visibility, not just on TVOD but every day.


Eddy / 24 / San Francisco / they/them

Instagram

I coach soccer to elementary school-aged boys. At the end of last season, one of the parents came up to me to express how much the team and the parents have appreciated having a trans coach. One of the boys’ brothers had just come out as trans and my visibility had helped my player and his friends come to terms with it. In moments like that, I love being trans.

Samantha / 36 / Denver, CO / she/her/hers

Twitter

I love finally feeling like I’m in my own skin. I love wearing the things I had always wanted to wear while also looking like I belonged in them. I make my transness visible, at least to those that know what those colored stripes represent. I try to educate those that have questions to hopefully reduce assumptions. Transitioning has legitimately made me a better, nicer, more outgoing person and I love it!


Joie de Vivre (stage name) / 54 / San Francisco / she & her

Facebook

As a burlesque performer I love that when I’m on-stage, it may be the first time that people in the audience have seen someone with a (trans, older) body like mine loving a body like mine.


Echo / 32 / NYC / They/Them

Instagram / Blog

I love being trans. I love how I’ve rediscovered my body in ways I could never imagine before. I love how I can treat my gender as a multidimensional puzzle that doesn’t have an answer. I love how I am part of a community that respects me, whatever that is. I love being beautiful, inside and out.

Lital /24/ Israel/Palestine

Poetry zine on gender fuckery

I performed in a show as both a drag king and queen and wore trans tape for the first time. It showed me what I might look like if I got top surgery, the ever foreboding question that as a nonbinary trans person makes me confused and nauseous. I had a dream the night before that I went with all my queer kings and got top surgery together, but my boobs were still intact I just had big black stitches under them and across my collarbone. There are still no answers but to walk around that night with this silky confidence was a cherished moment.


Daphne Mae Chiles / 52 / Indianapolis, IN / she/her/miss

I love everything about being trans!
Over time, I found self love and body positivity. For the first time in my life I can look at myself in the mirror and very pleased with the image staring back. Being in customer service and dealing with numerous people since the beginning of my transition, I found confidence and my true personality. Some tell me there is a bright light about me that attracts people to me to know me better and they admire and envy my confidence. I like to believe that trans visibilty helps to educate those that don’t understand and when I interact with people that might have had a fear of trans walk away realizing I’m just a person and not someone to fear. I like to say you don’t have to agree with whom I am, you don’t even have to understand me, but we do need to coexist.
 
My name is Daphne Mae Chiles and I’m proud of my transness, who I am, and I look forward to what tomorrow brings me.

Laura A. Jacobs, LCSW-R / NYC / she/he/they/none

Website / Facebook

I am a trans and genderqueer-identified psychotherapist, activist, author, and public speaker in the New York City area working with transgender and gender-nonbinary people, LGBTQ+ and alternate lifestyle communities of BDSM, nonmonogamy, and sex work. I currently serve as Chair of the Board of Directors for the Callen-Lorde Community Health Center in NYC, have been featured in television, radio, and print media, and have presented at countless community and healthcare conferences, professional associations, medical schools, and other organizations. I am the recipient of a 2018 Gay City News Impact Award as well as the 2017 Dorothy Kartashovich Award by the Community Health Center Association of New York State. I am co-author of “‘You’re In The Wrong Bathroom!’ and 20 Other Myths and Misconceptions About Transgender and Gender Nonconforming People”, published by Beacon Press. 


Nickols / 38 / Minneapolis/ He/him/his

Queer parent of queer 15 year old.


Will / Pittsburgh, PA / They/Them/Theirs

Venmo / Digital Portfolio

Accepting myself as trans has let me accept the fullness of all aspects of my identity, letting myself envision a future that is truly mine rather than what I imagine people want from me. Yes, this future (probably) has testosterone and a legal name change in it, but also running relays, reading every book in the library, finding the most fabulous button-ups, and advocating for my community. Loving my trans self means loving my full self, and making choices that align with all aspects of that self.


Gabriel Hirsh / 28 / Long Beach, CA / they/them

Instagram / Bow tie company

My partner and I :)


Audrey and Wynn / 28/27 / Dallas, TX / they/them

We just got #t4t MARRIED and it was the most visible we have ever been, individually and together. We stood in front of 120 people who truly love us, some of whom we never quite came out to and some who have been with us for every step of our journey, and we found ourselves surrounded by love, joy, music, and the Holy Spirit. Audrey was nervous about using their pronouns and being “out” during the wedding, and Wynn was skeptical of the whole wedding concept. It ended up being the most beautiful and affirming day we could have imagined. We are two lucky, lucky queers. ❤️

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Ari

Ari is a 20-something artist and educator. They are a mom to two cats, they love domesticity, ritual, and porch time. They have studied, loved, and learned in CT, Greensboro, NC, and ATX.

Ari has written 330 articles for us.

31 Comments

  1. Shawty! I love your choice of pronouns Al(aina) lol.

    You / we are all valid and fabulous. That goes to those of you who can’t be visible today. I see you all and I love you all.

  2. Thank you for this article so, so much. Signed, lesbian mother of a teenage trans son <3

  3. Omg this is so beautiful. Just over here weeping with joy at this celebration of trans life. Thank you for putting this together. Happy TDOV!

  4. This is amazing. Thanks for putting this together, Al, and thank all the participants for being visible.

    I see you today, tomorrow and always.

  5. Does anyone have any tips on what to do when you’ve just fallen in love with ~100 strangers in a very short amount of time?

  6. Love this, love you all!!

    Anna ~ it’s lovely to see you here and I didn’t realize we share the same eye colour!

    This is my favorite post so far this year 😄

  7. i love this so so much, thank you for putting the gallery together al(aina) and thank you to everyone who participated <3 y’all are beautiful.

  8. What an uplifting experience to see so many beautiful kind sexy babes saying Hello.

    The messages of Joy and Freedom and Love, Wow !

    Thank you to each and every one of you.

  9. I’m a few days late, but this article and all of the amazing words/pictures shared filled my heart with so much joy!

Comments are closed.