As a non-binary transgender, I define visibility as freedom from anyone's expectations. For me, this means that the society knows and accepts that there are people outside the traditional boundaries of “men” and “women”, and I don’t have to explain who I am to every stranger several times a day.
For me, visibility means not being perceived as “an incomplete gay boy” or “a lesbian girl who haven't worked through her physical dysphoria”, but rather the right to be myself, an androgyne, the one who knows best who I am.
It means that clothing and cosmetics industries, manufacturers of hygiene products, medicine and other necessities reckon with the specific needs of transgender people.
You’re not sick, you don't need to be treated from being yourself. It's just… before, people didn’t know or didn’t accept the existence of androgynous identity and lifestyle. The same way people didn’t know about penicillin or subatomic particles, although they existed long before humans and didn’t appear to fit into fashion trends.
Being visible means knowing that I’m not alone in this world, that i’m not destined for misunderstanding, yet more and more people find the strength to speak out about their non-binary identity. I know that I’m not alone and that I’m definitely not a mistake.
It means knowing that you’re just the way you are, the way you know and imagine yourself. You don’t have to try to reshape yourself based on male or female socialization.
Visibility means the right to be addressed the way you prefer to be addressed. The right not to get upset because of someone’s ignorance or lack of education, and the right to refrain from communication with ignorant people.
Visibility means the right to live a full life as a part of society without having to deal with social rejection and alienation.
Happy International Transgender Day of Visibility!