Trans Day of Visibility Means...

March 31 is known as International Transgender Day of Visibility. An annual day of events is dedicated to celebrating transgender people and raising awareness of discrimination faced by transgender people worldwide, and celebrating their contributions to society.

So, what does this mean to me? Well, many things! When I think of my visibility as a Black Afro- Caribbean Trans activist, I often focus on my work and contributions to creating gender-affirming spaces and policies.

Visibility as a healer forces me to remember the many times I had to stand in the gaps of misguided Theologians preaching anti-Trans and anti-queer rhetoric; which is anti-love and anti-Christ, reminding Trans and nonbinary people that they are made in the image of a God and their existence is part of God’s love. It is healing well being wounded. Visibility has made me a wounded healer. Choosing a journey and path of self-identity and expression has come with unbearable trauma and pain; however, it is from that pain that I have drawn my resilience from. I take all my lived experience and use it as a testimony to transform the world.

Because of my choice to be visible, I have also gained opportunities to be an influential model without sacrificing any of my intersecting identities. While I honor that visibility has given me access to re-author a different life experience, the reality is many of my siblings residing in the USA and beyond still don’t get to experience life without fear, violence, food security, housing security, and more. Visibility has cause many of my siblings their life. These past couple of days, my sisters from the Congo have informed me that a sister named Bella was murdered. Today, she informed me that two sisters were brutally beaten and sexually assaulted. Visibility for many of my trans siblings is also being seen, forced to be bothered, and the most vulnerable population.

This brings me to my closing statement about what visibility means for me this year. Visibility means constantly manifesting being in a world where Trans & Non- binary people get to existence and have the luxury to experience joy, radical love, gentleness, safety, abundance & much more. Like many trans siblings who have paved the way and those who still carry torches of liberation, the power in my visibility is that I did not wait for people to give me permission!

We show up authentically & divinely made! We are God’s manifestation of liberation. We are our ancestor’s manifestation of liberation!

With each breath I take, I have made a non-negotiable decision to practice gratitude. I have also chosen to make sure that “work” is not the center of my being because doing the work is also carving out space to create joy, love, and rest.

P.S: My 2020 sabbatical trip to Hawaii amid a pandemic and epidemic of Black bodies being killed reminded me that the breath of life is sacred and must be protected.  

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