Welcome to Queer IRL, an Autostraddle community photo series that gathers little clips of lesbian, bisexual, queer and otherwise-identified women, trans and non-binary folks, just living our lives.
The first celebration of the (now International) Trans Day of Visibility happened on March 31, 2009. Activist Rachel Crandall started the holiday because she noticed a lack of holidays celebrating transgender success. The day seeks to honor the accomplishments of transgender and gender non-conforming folks, while also highlighting that there is still real work to be done to save trans lives.
It is unfortunate that most news produced about trans folks, especially trans women, centers on our deaths or harassment. Our stories contain far more than our deaths. We want to be celebrated in our lives. And so, ladies, theydies, and gentlequeers, that’s exactly what we’re doing.
Almost 100 of you amazing humans sent me pictures of your faces and sent me words that made me very emotional! You and your high-quality images stole all the space in my hard drive and also my heart! I’m so excited to share you with the world!
So world, here we are, Trans Straddlers, visible and proud!
Kitson Smyth / 24 #ariesbabe / NYC / He/They
Instagram / Finstagram / Venmo (Help me save up for top surgery pls!!)
I love being a nonbinary trans human. I love existing in my truth and giving no fucks about binary views of gender. Being visible and seeing my friends and loved ones be visible too fills with so much joy that the folks I love and I are living authentic, beautiful, messy, complex, fun lives.
Jesse Campbell / 26 / Vancouver, CANADA
I love the physical and mental strength I now possess. Before transitioning I felt like I was dragging myself through the world. Now I can carry myself. A weight has been lifted, and carrying that weight for so long has made me stronger. I can admit I’m genuinely happy. No reservations or excuses. I love the perspective and experience I have gained. I love supporting my trans family. I love my trans partner. I love watching myself grow into the best version of myself.
Terra Fox / 34 / Albuquerqe, New Mexico
Trans is beautiful… like flowers, we blossom and fearlessly show our delicate and colorful selves to a dangerous world. Like flowers, we are resilient. We can grow anywhere, from the cracks in the concrete of cities to deserts and mountaintops where the air is thin. By simply existing, we make this world a more beautiful place. My body is a flower. My body is beautiful.
Eli / 27 / he/him/they/them / Zürich, Switzerland
I am visible because I want to show that I can be trans and thrive. So much of what we associate transness with is sadness – transphobia, rejection, mental health struggles, the politicization of our bodies, and worse. The experience of being trans – the privilege of transitioning – has been hard but also joyous. I’m developing a relationship with my own body for the first time in my life, I’m happier and more at ease at work and with friends, and I’ve experienced support and love from so many places. I hope that maybe in some way my visibility and my happiness can stand in contrast to the negatives and contribute towards a different kind of trans narrative.
Martha Greaves / Brooklyn, NY / She, Her, Zer
Trans Radical Rational/e / GNZ Kennedy
Since being visible it’s like I’ve unearthed this dormant superpower. I can actually plan for the future as my true self and who knew, I’m actually am not a slacker.
Jack / 23 / San Diego / he/him
It took me a long time to love and embrace my masculinity, I think in large part because the shows I grew up watching and the queer media I consumed starred very feminine women, painting the picture in my young queer mind that femininity was much more desirable than butchness and masculinity. Ever since I came out two years ago, though, I’ve worked every day to learn to love and enjoy my masculinity, which in turn has allowed me to enjoy my femininity so much more. I love that gender expression feels like a playground now, not a performance; when I paint my nails, wear briefs, pick out a new crop top, put on men’s socks, or do a million other little things, these everyday victories grow my gender euphoria into a super bloom. It’s never been true that only feminine queer folks are attractive; my partner, a queer lady, finds me so much more attractive now that I look like myself.
simcha / 20 / pnw / they/them/theirs
I love finding shared understanding and love in being trans, I love working to shape myself into My Self, I love watching my lil mustache hairs grow and feeling a little more okay within myself. I love the strength that I’ve grown to recognize within myself as I embrace who I am.
Willow / 31 / Boston / She
Transitioning saved my life, I really wouldn’t be here otherwise. I love that I still manage to freak out conservatives by existing. I love that the horrible pain of feeling utterly alone and alien in this world made me more empathetic to others existing outside the norm. I love that when I meet another trans person we can feel like lost nomads finding each other in the desert. We can exchange just a few words but stare deeply into each other’s souls. I’ve been on hormones for 5 years now. I’m still a fairly unhappy person, but I’ve moved on to being unhappy about new things, which is a sort of progress. I love you.
Lena + Kate / 27 + 28 / Columbus, OH / they/them/theirs
Lena’s IG / Kate’s IG / Lena’s Twitter / Kate’s Twitter
From Lena: For me, being genderqueer is all about authenticity. Without the constraint of trying to be something I’m not by fitting into norms and expectations that I do not actually believe in, I’ve become free to truly know and express myself. I love being sure of myself and confident in my identity regardless of how people perceive me. But the greatest joy of trans visibility is getting to be the person I needed to see when I was younger—out and thriving!
And having an incredible partner who is also trans means that the person I love the most doesn’t require me to justify or explain who I am—we resonate with one another in so many ways, and shared identity is one. As illegible as I often am to strangers, no one has ever read me more clearly than Kate does. Plus, what’s cuter than one non-binary person? TWO non-binary people kissing!
Alexis / 25 / East Coast / they/them
One of my favorite things about being trans is giving myself room to learn more and more about myself every day. I used to be so angry with myself for not being a good enough girl, for being so bad at being a girl, and when I realized I’m not a girl (I am a black girl though), it made me able to handle myself more gently to work with my body more softly. Being trans has shown me who to trust with my most important things and who to maybe keep at a bit of a distance even if I still love them (I have a HORRIBLE time with this because I want to believe we’re all just doing the best for one another – some may call this mindset naive – and it’s like not fun finding out this isn’t true). Whenever I talk about my pronouns and I see who is taking me seriously, when I see them putting what I’ve shared about myself into appropriate action, then I can better understand who is in my corner. And even my inability to come out to certain people lets me know that my body knows something that I otherwise probably want to ignore, which I appreciate because for so long I made sure to ignore my body and what it told me. Basically, being trans makes me happier to live and more intentional in how I go through life and love others and love myself, and after feeling closer to dead for a long time, I’m really enjoying (for the most part) being alive.
Quinn + Nate / 28 + 26 / Portland, OR / they/them + he/him
From Quinn: There are a million things I love about being trans, but one of the biggest is the joy of trans friendships! The strength and celebration and pure magic of sharing life with my trans loves is one of the sweetest things I’ve ever known.
Bennett Cunningham/ 33 / from the USA, currently in Taipei, Taiwan / They/Them
Being an out genderqueer person is amazing. Allowing other people to see me is freeing. I love not feeling alone in who I am and how I relate to the world. The more open I have become, the more I meet other people who share similar feelings, the closer I feel to the people that I care about because I am not holding back anymore.
JP / 25 / Durham, NC / they/them
I love being trans because of the people I’m in community with as the facilitator of a nonbinary discussion group. I’m proud to have helped create a space that folks keep returning to. I feel conflicted about visibility but one thing I do love about it as a nonbinary person is making others question their own gender/s and gender itself. I also love being on HRT. I didn’t just go on hormones for the tits, but like I didn’t not do it for the tits. They’re great.
Penny R. / 47 / Victoria BC, Canada / she/her
While I don’t love that it took me until age 46 to come out, I am all the way out now – I’m finally coming out at work this week – and I love it. I am finally having gender euphoria. I love being seen as myself. I love not having to curate every little visible detail of my life so nobody will spot some clue and guess the truth. I love looking at my band’s new album and seeing my real name on it. I love not being afraid of everyone around me. I love that I feel like I can finally care about myself now that it’s finally my life and doesn’t feel like someone else’s. I love the feeling of finally being FREE. Also I love having boobs (They’re not big, but they’re real…and they’re spectacular – to me anyway).
Anna / 37 / Green Bay, WI / She, Her
One of the most important ways I’m visible as a trans woman is to myself. I didn’t always recognize the person in the mirror, and some days are still hard like that. As such, I’m incredibly grateful for all the moments of clarity and joy when I feel most like ‘me’.
I took this photo one evening when I felt particularly comfortable in my skin, and I appreciate the chance to share what everyday bits of trans happiness look like for me.
Ade Anderson / 24 / Ft. Worth, TX / they/he
Instagram / Twitter / GoFundMe for Top Surgery / Paypal / Cash app
Being trans is so much a part of my growth as a person and as a Christian. I love the way I have to be aware of my body, and how it relates to other bodies. My transness reminds me that we can’t survive without community, and that’s the most important lesson I think any of us will ever learn.
Sage / 26 / Ontario / they/he
I love my tiny, ridiculous moustache. I love my voice. I love writing about my transition and sharing that writing with other trans, non-binary, gender nonconforming, and questioning folks. Seeing others like myself existing in the world helped me so much with my transition and I aspire to return the favour.
Samson / 24 / Brooklyn,NY / They/them
I love being trans because I love getting to be my true and authentic self. I love the outlook that I have developed from my experiences, both good and bad, using those experiences in my art and teaching. I love being a part of a large and diverse community, and being a positive role model for young trans people.
Mel Ferrara / 25 / Philly / they/them/theirs
“I began to feel the pleasure of the weightless state between here and there” – Leslie Feinberg.
Isabella Marabeth Cavatica / 23 / Central Minnesota / Fae/Faer/Faers/Faerself
With hormones, I’ve gone from introverted to extroverted. My hips have filled out, my boobs are awesome, and looking in the mirror I see me. I am a beautiful giantess with the heart of a poet. I’m a crunchy witch with hair like the tangled roots of a tree, an appetite like a black hole, and all the joy of the sun. I am me, and it’s wonderful.
Laurel Powell / 30 / Washington, D.C. / She/Her
Digital Campaigns Manager at the National Center for Transgender Equality / Twitter / Instagram
Being trans, and a trans lesbian, has been a struggle. Truthfully, it always is. But, I wouldn’t be the woman that I am today without the experiences that I survived—and gosh, do I love being me these days.
Becklin / 27 / Seattle, WA / she/her/hers
Jace Every / 28 / Long Beach, CA / He/Him/His
I love my ability to find the good in all situations. I love that I represent a minority of queer trans people of color. I love paving the way for the next generation and bringing awareness to battling a mental illness as well as gender dysphoria. I’m filled with joy because I’m living my authentic life. I’m filled with joy because I was made the way I was always intended to be. The struggles, the fights, the depression everything I’ve gone through has taught me lessons that I can pass on to someone else. If I can touch and help even one trans youth I’m filled with purpose. I’m happy to be visible for those who can’t.
Amanda Ling / 28 / PHX / She+They
Love is a pretty strong word for how I felt about my bod telling everyone I was non-binary before I told myself that, but now that we’re in the same place about it, I love how confrontational I get to be without saying anything. I love to extra politely power through the confusion I cause to the reason the conversation is even happening, I love to hope it makes it easier for this stranger to skip over the awkwardness next time. I also love the sneaky pete smiles from other queers in the wild, as glad to see me as I am to see them. I loved learning that I wasn’t playing a game with a bunch of rules I didn’t know, I’m playing a game with a bunch of rules I don’t need.
Jordan / Chicago / they/them/theirs
I love that I found a way to be my most true self and to have language (enby) that reflects that. I love being part of a community of strong, brave, incredible people. I love that I found my way to me.
Drew / 30 / Los Angeles / They/them
I love that it took exploring my masculinity in order to be able to embrace my femininity and broaden my perception of my sexuality. I love my body more than ever, and my relationships with my chosen family have deepened as my love for myself has grown.
Ari Rivera / Puerto Rican / 26 years old / Northampton, MA / she/her
Lu / 25yrs old / Edinburgh, Scotland / Student midwife
As nonbinary person, there have many times when I have felt like I wasn’t trans enough. Right now I am at a point in which I have stopped thinking about gender that much, I dress how I like and I act as I feel. I know I am nonbinary and I know I am trans and that is all that matters. I feel super lucky that I am surrounded by people who love me and accept me for who I am. Luna who is the best dog in the whole world also loves me and she doesn’t seem to care at all about my gender identity.
K. R. / 23 / They/them
I love being trans (and queer in general) because it’s amazing to be apart of a community and family of people who are different in the same way I am. I love that our community as a whole feels like home- I love that we’ve found a home in each other. I love being trans because no matter how alone I feel I am, I know I’m not because I have this whole other place that I belong to and that’s a part of me.
Andi / 53 / Melbourne, Australia / She, her, hers
I love being a trans athlete. I play Australian Rules football and my participation has helped me to feel included as well helping my football community learn more about the value of inclusion. Our national competition leads the way in Australia with its Gender Diversity and Inclusion Policy by recognising how much of a difference inclusion in community sport can make to the life of trans and gender diverse people. Being trans fills me with joy because I have been freed from inauthenticity.
Revan Athame / 40
Leigh Hendrix / 35 / Western PA / They/Them/Theirs
Brennan Johnson / 24 / Memphis, TN / She/her
Being in my old body was like being stuck in a loveless marriage with myself. Admitting that I wanted to change allowed me to learn to love myself. Learning to love myself has taught me to love everyone else more completely. I have a wardrobe that reflects my personality much better. My crowning achievement in fashion is a woman tell me “I wish I was cool enough to wear that color.”
Benny Hope / 33 / Eugene, OR / They/Them
I love how my relationship with my body has changed since figuring out I was nonbinary. I feel less pressure to look a certain way since I am not trying to fit into society’s ideas of what a man or a woman looks like.
KAI / 27 / ILLINOIS / He/Him
When I first came out, there was so much uncertainty. I didn’t know if anyone would ever fully accept me, personally or professionally. Now, ten years later, I’m married to my partner (we’ve been together 12 years!), we live with our two equally queer friends (and eight animals), and I’m working as a teacher (my dream job). Best of all, I’m finally learning to love everything about my trans self! And I’m surrounded by people who love and support me, too!
Cee (a.k.a Dad) / 40 / Portland, OR / they/them
I love not participating in gender like I was supposed to! It’s so freeing.
Emmett / 32 / Denver, CO / he/him/his
Sharli Love / 26 /PNW / She/they
Jay / 28 / Tennessee / They/them/theirs
Sydney Shackelford / 48 / NYC Metro / She/her
I love the fact that I’m totally me now, my true self. Transitioning was about me loving myself. I’m no longer hiding who I am. I am a lesbian girl in a queer world who just happens to have a trans history.
Julia / 24 / Colorado / They/them
I love that I am my own little gender star occupying my own solar system, and when I look out into space I see that there are as many genders as there are stars in the sky or grains of sand on the coasts. I also love a good they-joke from other genderqueers.
Sam / 26 / they/them
Since coming out as trans and genderqueer about two years ago, I’ve learned how complicated it can be to exist in visible defiance of the widely assumed binaries of sex and gender. But it has also been an incredible gift to have unsubscribed from the expectations and internalized shame of confining my body and self-understanding to one gender category. I’m in graduate school to become an evolutionary biologist, and through studying ecological variation, I’ve come to see myself as more deeply a part of our world’s incredible biodiversity as someone who is other, neither, and both male and female.
Jae Siqueiros / 24 / Portland, OR / He/Him/His
“I am strong, I am resilient, I am deserving of love.”
TUREAC ARIS / 24 YEARS / ROMANIA / HE
Kasen Truth / 26 / Los Angeles / he/him/his
Instagram / Cash App / Youtube / Venmo
I love being trans because I feel like it sets me apart from everyone else. Being a trans guy comes with a few challenges but so does everything else in life. I love being visible because it gives me a chance to be the person I needed when I started my transition to other people and that makes me feel like I’m in alignment with my life’s mission!
Flynn Germain / 24 / Los Angeles / mostly they/them
I love that I’ve finally gotten to a point where I’m comfortable in my masculinity and my femininity. I love the way my vocal range expanded on T, and that I can include all those new sounds in my music!
Cass / 29 / Minnesota / they/them
I got my hair cut short for the first time ever in November, six months after I looked up what nonbinary meant and realized that it fit me to well, a T, and has for a while. I had dressed mostly masculine of center before the cut, but now I feel truly free – truly myself. I love being able to challenge the gender roles and binaries in my life while discovering who I am and creating a more inclusive world in the process. Still, some days I don’t feel trans enough. But the white stripe in the flag is meant for us, so I’m valid. My labels change almost daily (as of press time I go with agender and nonbinary), but I’m still valid. Still myself. Still happy. I’m visible in my identity as a queer person of color because I want to help kids and others feel valid in their identities too.
Daria (the 🐢 is Dolores!) / 20 / MN & MI / they/them/theirs
Julien / 39 / Portland, OR / they/them
What I love most about being trans is the friends I’ve made who I wouldn’t have met or gotten to know if I wasn’t trans. I love them as family and every single day I’m so grateful for them! I wouldn’t be alive without them! I also love the freedom I feel since realizing I’m simply not beholden to most of the rules I grew up believing. I can be and do almost anything I want! It’s an extremely liberating feeling and I wish everyone could feel it.
Jessica / 28 / United Kingdom / She/Her
I love feeling calmer and having a fuller understanding of why I never felt “right” growing up. I love that I can be the visibly and openly transgender person that I needed when I was growing up – and didn’t have.
Liz + Jessica / 30 + 41 / Northern VA / she/her/hers
Liz’s Twitter / Liz’s Kofi / Jessica’s Twitter / Jessica’s Instagram
From Liz: Being trans to me is something I’ve denied myself since I first didn’t fit in or feel right in my own body. Coming out and transitioning as hard as it can be finally lets me get to feel like me. I get to experience all he joys that I haid tried to hide so long. so being trans to me is almost like watching a miracle happen in real time.
From Jessica: Being trans has meant finally being able to be myself, feel comfortable in my own skin, and finally be able to live my life. To have a body that is me, and to accept and celebrate my body as it is my own unique, fat, and tall trans women body. Being visible means I can show others that they can be themselves, and that transition isn’t only for those with a certain body type.
Jay / 24 / Portland / They
I love how exploring gender through my body continues to bring me closer to being present in my body consistently. The more I express my transness, the more I feel capable of exploring joy in my body without dissociating. I remember the ways I tried to shrink and hide my physical presence and cover up my trans identity. It only hurt me. Being visible doesn’t always feel like an option (or always safe), but I would rather feel the uncertainty in joy than ever shrink and hide again.
Vic / they/them
Discovering I am nonbinary has made everything finally make sense. I love my style, my community, and hearing people at my school refer to me with the right name and pronouns. I love being trans and queer and I’m proud to be an out scientist!
Carson / 23 / he/they
My favorite thing about being trans is getting to determine for myself who I am and how I get to be!
J. Mack / 25 / Los Angeles / They/Them/Daddy
Instagram / Patreon / Venmo / Cash App / Bandcamp / Landr
I love being a Black Trans Non-binary Femme Boi. Even among much adversity I feel strong, resilient, and free. I have overcome homelessness, joblessness, mental & physical violence. I am empowered by my peers and the unbalance in the world to go for my dreams no matter what! With an abundance mindset and as a plant based Indigenous creative I’ll heal my world.
Alex / 28 / they/them
I love how understanding and opening up about my trans identity has let me regain confidence in myself and my body, as a person and an athlete. I started snowshoeing this winter and I recently came out in my soccer league! I love being seen as my true self.
Asher Ford / 30 / Austin, TX / she/her
Ah, this trans life is something. I love the connections I make with other trans folks who share my experiences or trans folks who teach me new realities about their stuff all the time, and I love knowing I am always striving to find and be more of myself.
Flo / Leeds, UK
Instagram (just been set up, follow for upcoming trans music!)
It’s taken me a long time to accept my transness, but feeling comfortable in my skin is worth every second. It’s a strength that I can rely on any time, that can’t be taken away from me. Being out as nonbinary just feels like home to me.
Lila Leatherman / 27 / Salt Lake City, UT ~ Eastern Shoshone, Goshute, and Ute territory / they/them
I’m a scientist, a rock climber, and nonbinary trans person, and I love that being trans helps this recovering anxious rule-follower question the system. I love the community that comes around being queer and trans when we join together to support one another. And even though it’s often scary, I love being trans in places where people don’t expect it— like a hiking trail, or the climbing gym, or a scientific meeting. Outside of my science research work, I write about social justice and trans identities in science and the outdoor industry. (Photo credit: Irene Yee, taken on Ute and Cheyenne Territory)
Brie / 30 / Brooklyn, NY / she/her
The day I had the epiphany that I was transgender was one of the most stressful, frightening, and overwhelming moments of my life. However it didn’t take long for me to see it was possibly the greatest moment as well. I now feel so complete and I actually love seeing the woman in the mirror. When I first started transitioning, it felt like an impossible task but now I know better. It’s also been so rewarding discovery such a huge, loving queer community and I’ve made so many wonderful friends since starting coming out.
Jessica / 32 / Philadelphia / she/her
Julie/Jay / 28 / LA, California / she/they
Grappling with my own gender was an immense struggle for a long time. I am now in a place where I understand that struggle as part of the beauty of being non-binary. I am in flux, always. And I deeply believe trans people are a gift to this world. I am so thankful that I am a part of this community.
L / 24 / Los Angeles, CA / they, them
I’m proud to be a transmasculine, nonbinary humxn and have the privilege to work in entertainment/media – an industry with such power and influence on culture and our perceptions of others. Through my work, I’m humbled to bring awareness, build empathy, and stand for and with the trans community in educating others and carving out visibility for us in front of and behind the screen.
Jasper / 24 / Ann Arbor, MI / they/them
Dubbs Weinblatt / 34 / NYC / they/them/theirs /
National Manager of Education and Training at Keshet / Instagram / Twitter / Website / Website
I love being a genderqueer trans person! My top surgery has affirmed my life in ways I never could have even imagined. Being a visible genderqueer trans person is very important to me because I didn’t have anyone to look up to when I was younger and figuring out who I was and I felt all alone. I want to be the queer person I never saw and inspire folks to live their authentic truths!
Keegan Smeza / 27 / Los Angeles / she/her/hers
I try to leverage my privilege as a white, able-bodied trans womxn to help make our visibility as trans people a little less radical in some of the least inclusive spaces. You can always find me playing basketball at a local park or performing stand up comedy here in LA.
Lil Williams / TX / they/she
I’m nonbinary (the white stripe on the big beautiful trans flag). I love being flexible with my presentation, from femme to masc to anywhere around and in between. I’ve been able to experience gender euphoria by supporting my trans siblings by co-founding Q’s, an LGBTQIA+ focus cafe.
Elk Paauw / 27 / Chicago / he/him/his
I love being trans because it affirms the fact that I am the one in charge of my own narrative. Only I can define myself, only I know how I want to be, and through that continual re-definition I riotously celebrate the existentialist project of being alive, being human, and being myself.
Lazarus / 26 / Albuquerque / they/them/thatcutieovertheir
Website / Instagram / Venmo / Cash App
I love being a Black queer enby so gosh darn much. I was born into a strong legacy of freedom fighters and badass motherfuckers – the Black and Brown trans femmes that came before me threw bricks to pave the way for me and my kin and I wanna do the same for the next generation. I love the double takes when my earrings bounce off the hair on my face. I love letting my trans voice ring out and crack over microphones. I love meeting eight-year-olds using they/them pronouns and having the deep satisfaction of knowing the kids are alright. I love my community, fiercely and deeply, and am grateful to be sober and safe enough to revel in the magic of the moment. I wouldn’t trade a second of my experience for the world
Evan/26/Boston, MA
I’m an early childhood educator and I love being trans and nonbinary because every day I get to show the students that I work with that it’s 100% okay to be completely themselves and express their gender however they want. I have conversations with my young students about gender, race, and immigration, and strive to model living my truth and embracing my identities to encourage them to explore their own identities. Being trans and visible in a field with very few other trans people is often challenging, but allows me to educate my coworkers, children, and their families to expand their definitions of what a teacher looks like.
Jessica Stjohn / 61 / Hollywood / she/her
Reed Brice / 31 / Los Angeles/ they or him or hey girl
August / 22 / NYC / they/them
I wish me from 8 years ago could see me today. I didn’t think I’d ever make it here; I truthfully didn’t think I’d live this long. But here I am.
TL Jordan/ 23/ Minnesota/ they/them
Being trans allows me to finally live life the way that I have wanted to for so long. I can flow through my gender and finally find harmony with my body in ways I never thought I could, and being okay when I don’t have that harmony on certain days. Being visible as a trans person has allowed me to learn how to fight more strongly for myself and my trans siblings.
AC Dumlao / 28 / Brooklyn, NY / They/Them/Theirs
I am so lucky to have the privilege to live visibility as not only a trans nonbinary person, but also as a queer person, a person of color, and a child of immigrants. In discovering my gender, I discovered that I could embrace all parts of myself, and that is the greatest joy of my life.
Joia Nicholson / 24 / Chicago / zhe/ze
I’m agender, asexual,and biracial so my experiences and perspectives of the world are unique. As an artist/musician, these things are reflected by my work. By coming out, I was able to encourage others to be proud and open about who they are too and that has been amazing. I’ve also met some interesting people and that’s probably the best part!
louise / Singapore/ they/them
photo credit: Paul Stringer
Coming out as non-binary felt like a perfect way to express how I’d been living all along. When I get to be in spaces that see me and accept me as I am, I stop fearing for my safety and start letting myself dream about the many things I actually want to try in life. It’s nourishing and it warms me from the inside the way homemade loaves of bread fresh from the oven do.
Brynne / 26 / they/them or ae/aer
Alice Blank / 24 / SoCal / She/Her/Hers
Zoe / 30 / Baltimore, MD / they/them
About me: As a nonbinary queer person of color I have grown and learned to not let those identifiers hold me down or box me in. I love that I am multifaceted and full of energy to share and inspire others. By day I am an elementary special educator, and when I’m not teaching, grading, or lesson planning, I am dedicated to becoming the strongest person I can be through powerlifting. The weights have given me even more confidence in my body and allow me a positive outlet for any anger I may build up day to day.
Dee / 40 / she/her
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
Julian / 22 / they/them
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
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
Samantha / 36 / Denver, CO / she/her/hers
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
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
Lital /24/ Israel/Palestine
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
Laura A. Jacobs, LCSW-R / NYC / she/he/they/none
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
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
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. ❤️
Pages: 1 2 3 4 5See entire article on one page
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.
THIS IS SO BEAUTIFUL AND PERFECT
Oh my g-d this is incredible
WOW good afternoon to all the perfect people in this gallery.
Thank you for this article so, so much. Signed, lesbian mother of a teenage trans son <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!
holy smokes this rules, what a gorgeous group of human beings
So. many. cute. humans
This is so freaking beautiful and it made my day
Thank you so much for this! Every one of you is beautiful – words and pictures.
I’ve never hit the “see entire article on one page” button faster in my life!!
wow SO many cuties
Love this!
This is glorious!! <3
Love also the surprise sneak shot of LP :D
I LOVE THIS!!!!!
<3 <3 <3
Dang this is so perfect!!
This is just perfect.
This is amazing. Thanks for putting this together, Al, and thank all the participants for being visible.
I see you today, tomorrow and always.
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?
Ahh this is so wonderful, look at all those lovely faces!
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 😄
Everyone here is amazing, & we seriously have a good looking community too! Thank you All!
What an exceptionally BEAUTIFUL group of humans! I love you all and see you all.
You are all such adorable humans! This is the best thing I’ve seen in a long while
Dang, I somehow missed this- next year, I suppose!
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.
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.
I’m a few days late, but this article and all of the amazing words/pictures shared filled my heart with so much joy!
This is freaking beautiful!
Why the hell did you use my name and photos without my consent?