Being authentic is revolutionary - TDOV 2019
Every Transgender Day of Visibility comes round and I feel compelled to write something poignant. I don't know if you'll find this article compelling or not, that's not for me to say.
But I do know that the more I live authentically as the person I've always been, that the less and less I feel the need to shout from the rooftops about my being transgender.
I was out at a music festival yesterday that was raising funds for Mind the mental health charity and on the way home with some really good friends we were talking about prejudice in all forms. My good friend Lee said to me that he doesn't see me as trans, he just sees me as Debbie.
I long for a world where all trans people aren't defined by their transgender status, where people aren't defined by their disability, their mental health or their difference. Not matter who we are, we're all people.
We're all yearning for the same things, love, acceptance, happiness and above all the ability to go about our lives without having to struggle or fight for people to see us as who we are.
Recently I've been working on a voluntary programme at Gaydio the largest LGBT radio station in the UK, to produce content around LGBT mental-health.
It's brought to the fore of my frame of reference again the importance of having a sound mental health, how fragile mental health is and how not being in a good mental space can have such a massive impact on our own lives and on those around us, whether at work or professionsally.
Most weekends we see negative press towards the trans community here in the UK. Trans peoples rights are being eroded in the USA and for what reason?
Most trans people just need to live authentically. To be allowed the same opportunities and privileges that everyone else is.
Our gender identity is us living authentically.
Thats it.
It has no links to us being anything other than that.
In a world where some people and countries are trying to erode our rights to live, being transgender and visible is revolutionary.
So despite my being comfortable enough to not shout out about my trans status any more, as long as my trans siblings live in a world where people are trying to take their rights away? I'm going to be open and shout about my being trans.
I don't think that my being trans is all that defines me. But I've never been happier, prouder, or more fulfilled.
If being authentic is wrong, then I never want to be right.
To all of my trans brothers, sisters and none binary siblings. Happy TDOV2019.