- a trans woman publicly comes out. shes beautiful. another trans woman comes out. shes beautiful. another trans woman was murdered. she was beautiful.
- everyone knows a trans man. you are friends with a trans man. your cis friends even know a trans man. people talk in hushed voices about trans men they know. the media is silent. trans men dont exist.
- it’s quiet around you. someone find out that youre trans. ‘have you had the surgery?’ they ask. have you had The Surgery? you dont know what surgery theyre talking about. you dont know what surgery youre supposed to have. your appointment is in 3 days.
- you come out to your parents. ‘we love you’ they say. your birth name echoes in their minds. we love you. they misgender you daily. they misgender and misname you in front of your friends. we love you. they havent kicked you out yet. they remind you every day that they are Good because they havent kicked you out. they misgender you. they misname you. we love you. we love you. we love you.
- when you come out to your friends, they make an effort. they switch names depending on the situation. they keep you safe in front of those youre not out to. in private they correctly gender and use your name. your friends keep you safe. time passes. you both stop caring. they use your name with everyone. they use the correct pronouns with everyone. no one seems to care or notice. you are safe.
- gender neutral bathrooms are starting to appear everywhere. every store and every restaurant has a new bathroom attached. they keep appearing. you dont know where theyre coming from. you feel safe. you dont know where theyre coming from, but youre not afraid.
- a child asks if youre a boy or a girl. you cant answer, you dont know how to explain. their mom hushes them quickly and walks away. youre confused. the child is confused. the mother knows. the mother always knows. the kid doesnt care.
- another child asks if youre a boy or a girl. ‘no’ you answer. the child looks you up and down. ‘okay’. the child doesnt care.
