Happy Trans Day of Visibility Butterflies and friends,
Another March 31st has come and it is time to look back at how far we have come.
While Trans, Intersex and Gender Non-Conforming people have always existed, most Western historical records of us sadly are from court cases, with those seeking to persecute us holding the power to define our stories. Figures such as Eleanor Rykener, Adelaide Herculine Barbin and Eleno de Céspedes largely only entered historical texts via their controversies.
More recent champions of gender variance lived public lives as non-binary, trans, or gender fluid such as the aptly named Public Universal Friend, Lili Elbe, Roberta Cowell, Lucy Hicks Anderson, Christine Jorgensen, Reed Erickson and most famously Marsha P Johnson.
These stories all built up to the moment we have now. The spotlight they drew led to our collective trans consciousness and culture. We now have words for how we feel and ways of explaining this to cis people, thanks to this culture.
Trans Day of Visibility therefore is our most significant day. Remember those who championed our rights to our identities, and gave us a pathway to walk in public life.
It is however, an important date to recognise that the significant attention our community has drawn, has not been all positive. Just as the visibility of other trans people has helped us identify just what it was that caused our depression, it has revealed us to those with hate in their hearts.
The Australian Human Rights Commission published the The Equal Identities report yesterday. This report drew on 97 separate submissions, outlining three significant pillars of concern. (read the full report here.)
BEING SAFE
Trans and gender diverse people report high levels of physical, sexual and technology-facilitated violence and harassment – in public, at home and online – with significant impacts on health and wellbeing
BEING SEEN AND HEARD
Australia lacks robust, consistent population data on trans and gender diverse communities, which limits policy design, service delivery and accountability.
BEING ABLE TO PARTICIPATE
Broad religious exemptions from anti-discrimination laws. Discrimination persists in recruitment, career progression and workplace culture and Recent public discussions have contributed to the increased exclusion of trans and gender diverse people from sport.
This Trans Day of Visibility, we need to pressure politicians to take on board the 19 recommendations outlined in the Equal Identities report, in order to advance upon the progress previous trans, intersex and gender non-conforming people have championed for us.
Returning to the core purpose of Social Butterflies, we provide the perfect space for the closeted to explore themselves for the first time, and to be accepted into a community.
Our visibility is so powerful. Each new Butterfly who visits our events sees us, sees how happy and healthy we are. They get to know us and they learn their stories are not so different. They experience such relief knowing there is a solution and a light at the end of the tunnel. It is so so important that all of us keep public profiles. Trans Day of Visibility is not just for being defiant before cis people, it is about standing up and ploughing a path into the future, so that others may follow us.
It pains me to understand that I cannot truly tell closeted visitors that this life is all good. As the Equal Identities report states, there are so many challenges still harming us. We make a point of welcoming not just the transitioned, but those who can only live this life part time. Life is not always fair and we are not always going to be so privileged as to pursue self actualisation.
Be brave, be bold. Don’t falter and don’t hide. We have nothing to be ashamed about and nothing to hide. By standing up and normalising this experience, others will be freed.
Francine Ellis