Light
Pride on the Page Day #22
Each of the mini-essays I’m publishing for the month of June are part of a creative challenge to share joy during Pride. You can find out more in the link below. You can even participate, if you’d like!
Wild Lion*esses Pride from Jay
22. Light
They don’t tell you how many of us will come out to our families and NOT lose anyone.
They don’t tell you how many of us will come out to our children and NOT have them taken from us.
They don’t tell you how many of us will come out to our spouses and STAY married through our transitions.
They don’t tell you how many of us will feel whole just by starting our transitions.
They don’t tell you the power of social transition.
They don’t tell you how many of us have aging parents who can get our pronouns right.
They don’t tell you how many of us will have improved health outcomes as part of our transitions.
They don’t tell you how many of us will learn to breathe by transitioning.
They don’t tell you how many of us survived because we could transition.
They don’t tell you how beautiful trans people are when we are given the opportunity to be ourselves.
They don’t tell you how many of us have learned to be resourceful in the face of marginalization.
They don’t tell you how resilient trans people can be.
They don’t tell you how common transgender, intersex, nonbinary, and genderqueer people really are.
They don’t tell you the important jobs trans people hold in every single industry that exists.
They don’t tell you that many trans people are highly educated.
The don’t tell you that trans people are not swayed by your misuse of religion to spread hatred.
They don’t tell you how many trans people pray, attend church, worship in a mosque, go to synagogue, sit in a temple, kneel during mass, or join a coven.
They don’t tell you that trans people are immigrants.
They don’t tell you that trans people are poor, often homeless, unemployed, underemployed, food insecure, and in need of help.
They don’t tell you that all trans adults were, at one point, trans children.
They don’t tell you that trans voices matter.
They don’t tell you that trans lives matter.
They didn’t tell you that I’d tell such good dad jokes.
Guess that goes to show how much they know.
Shine a light on their ignorance and come to us for truth. We want you to know. We want to tell you.
Your trans friend,
Robin
They don’t tell you because knowing makes spreading hate harder.
Thank you for being a part of my daily reading this month, and thank you for wanting to help us understand.