Beyond Visibility
It’s not lost on me that Transgender Day of Visibility occurs every year during Women’s History Month and yet transgender women have been historically overlooked and erased from the category of “woman” for decades. Golden Globe Winning Actress Michaela Jaé Rodriguez was picked for “Woman of the Year” by Times Magazine and yet people are out here mad at her being picked for that category. Lia Thomas, a transgender swimmer has been called transphobic epithets for competing on the women’s team even though Lia is a qualified female swimmer who just became the first openly transgender NCAA D1 champion. This is how (trans)misogyny and trans visibility intersect and operate: if some woman is visibly thriving, people, including other women, will inherit that as a personal attack, like they are losing something because of it.
As an openly transgender woman on the Feminist team, I compiled a list of four important reminders that explore the nuances of Trans Day of Visibility beyond just sheer celebration:
In the words of poet extraordinaire, Alok V Menon, “trans visibility” is an oxymoron. Trans is who we are and not what we look like. As a trans person, I should not have to look trans to be trans. I am trans and that is enough.
Trans Visibility does not mean safety. In fact, trans visibility = violence. For those of us in the community who do not/cannot/ or do not want to “pass” our visibility too often becomes the site of violence. Therefore, invisibility is a survival strategy. Trans visibility is not for everyone especially for those of us who do not adhere to cis heteronormative standards of beauty.
Visibility often means incorporation. Trans people do not have to look like cis people to be “legitimate.” Trans people do not have to change what we wear, undergo medical or legal transition, really should not have to do anything to be respected. We were and already are enough. Visibility is often gatekept by cis folks anyway.
Visibility is “easy.” Sharing photos of trans people and calling us “resilient” and “beautiful” or commenting “slay” and “werk” does little to address the transphobia so many of us face. Shifting the material conditions of trans lives is “the work” hitting the “like” button is not.
Trans allies need to be more “visible.” See more below for what I mean.
My wish for Trans Day of Visibility is for everyone to genuinely explore and uplift these nuances of transness beyond us visibility. Additionally, I wish everyone, including cis women, would stop reaching for the easily memeable low-hanging fruit when it comes to issues facing trans women specifically. Centering pronouns, using inclusive language, and saying things like #transwomenarewomen are not actually that helpful. Instead, my dream is that Trans Day of Visibility engages with and brings attention to the material conditions of trans people instead: the cost of transition, the lack of jobs, states legislating against trans athletes, insurance scams that send trans people to inexperienced surgeons, the lack of gender-affirming coverage, exclusion from shelters, the number of trans women in men’s prisons, the wage gap for trans people, domestic violence, houselessness, and the outrageous transition costs that force trans people into exploitative jobs and/or abusive relationships. Let’s do more and push harder for trans justice.
Visit Trans-Week.com for ways to support and take action
About Lexi Chandra
Lexi Chandra (she/they) is a trans writer, editor, content strategist, and public speaker in New York. She is the Twitter Editor and Social Media Assistant for @Feminst and leads socials for model Munroe Bergdorf @GoddessPlatform on Instagram. She began her career with her own virtual platform, @iamlexchandra, where she brings a daily dose of much-needed realness to the world of social media by sharing vital pieces of information for the transgender and queer communities.
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“I’m excited to dive deeper into these conversations with my monthly column on Feminist. Look out for more by me and reach out via email (alexandrachandra94@gmail.com) if you’d like to be featured!”