Today marks one year since I came out of the closet and started living my life openly as a proud transgender woman. It is the best choice I have ever made and probably will ever make. (thread)
When I came out, I wrote: "I've reached a point in my life where I finally feel comfortable, for various reasons, to be my true self, and were the world to end tomorrow, I don’t want that truth being buried with me."
Well, with a year passed, I can confidently say that I have never been happier or more comfortable in my own skin. I still have obstacles and bad days, but the freedom of living authentically, of candidly presenting my truth, is a revolutionary act that nourishes my soul daily.
I am mindful that my overwhelmingly positive experience over the past year--even with its challenges (and there have been several)--does not reflect that of many, if not most, in the trans community. Trans people are not a monolith; we are individuals as diverse as any community.
The violence and discrimination faced by trans people--and LGBTQ people generally--has escalated under this White House, and it is imperative that our allies stand with us (and we with each other) in all the ways our oppression and privilege intersect.
My experience as a white, able-bodied trans woman is not the same for trans people of color, trans folks with disabilities, trans religious minorities, trans sex workers, and so many other identities within the trans community that are overlooked and burdened beyond the whole.
So, with this being my first birthday, I only ask for perspective in the privileges we all hold and what we can individually and collectively do to dismantle them. And if you'd like to offer a donation somewhere, please consider @CasaRubyDC: casaruby.org/get-involved/
