You are a gift.

This week I’m balancing sounding the alarm and sending flowers.

On one hand we honor trans visibility and celebrate trans joy. We acknowledge how the trans community has modeled how to live fully in one’s truth and joyfully in one’s expression.

On the other hand, we recognize the very real political threats to trans people. Over the last few months, Republicans have introduced a record 93 bills on trans issues in 28 states. This week alone, Arkansas passed a measure that would prevent doctors from providing certain healthcare to trans youth. And Alabama is considering the most egregious law yet making it a felony to provide gender affirming care (see below to take action).

It’s not enough to celebrate trans visibility, we must defend trans survival and well-being.

Visibility is the risk many take to live fully and authentically in the world. Perhaps, there is nothing worth fighting for more than this. Everyone deserves the right to live their truth and embody their wholeness.

As friends and allies, we must do everything in our power to defend our trans community and create the conditions for trans people to thrive on their terms.

We must see one another as a gift and love and protect each other.

Because we belong to each other.

Kerri (she/her)

Art @badasscrossstitch

1. Visibility Alone Will Not Keep Transgender Youth Safe. This Trans Day of Visibility, we must be active in the fight against anti-trans legislation proliferating across the country, starting with Arkansas, Alabama, and South Dakota. [click to tweet]

2. Trans voters face systemic, legal, and emotional hurdles to participating in our democracy that others don’t. Here’s how to fight back. [click to tweet]

3. As trans people have fought for survival, they have also fought for the right to describe themselves in their words and to reject language that criminalizes, pathologizes, or invisibilizes them. Here’s a guide to learn more. [click to tweet]

4. The Media Must Stop Demonizing Immigrants - before someone else “having a really bad day” decides to pick up a gun in response to their lies. [click to tweet]

5. "What's happening in Georgia is just the beginning. Electoral autocracy is the natural step of this very well organized machine to continue to hijack our democracy." Gaslit Nation podcast on the threat to voting rights. [click to tweet]

LEARN and unlearn what you were taught about gender. Read books (like this) and attend workshops led by trans people and be willing to question and challenge your assumptions.

ACT against anti-trans legislation around the country. Tell Arkansa governor Asa Hutchinson to veto HB 1570: 501-682-2345. Call Gov Kay Ivey and tell her to veto HB1/SB10 and HB391: 334-242-7100.

GIVE to trans-led organizations including @TKO_alabama @BLKTransTravel @TransJusticeFB @intransativeAR @BLKTransFutures @MPJInstitute @GLITSInc @TransYogaProject

SUPPORT and follow the work of trans leaders and activists including @chasestrangio @raquel_willis @pinkmataray @alokvmenon @transyogaproject

SHARE your pronouns whenever possible to help shift the culture and create more space for trans and non binary expression. Here’s a guide for how to get started.

Art @hellowmynameiswednesday

Let’s talk about gender. It’s a common misconception that “transgender” refers only to binary trans identities (trans women and trans men). But in reality transgender encompasses anyone whose gender identity does not match their assigned sex at birth including non-binary people. Most importantly, it’s up to trans and non binary people to determine for themselves how they identify and express themselves. Gender is a construct. It is neither biological nor binary. The point is you do not need to understand, make sense of or agree with how someone identifies or expresses themselves to respect them. One’s lived experience does not need to be explained or validated. Plain and simple. If your knowledge around gender is lacking or you’re confused by someone’s gender expression, then that’s your burden to deal with. Read this book. Get educated. Take a workshop. And grow. Because there is a beautiful world that exists beyond binaries.

**For more on gender, learn with @tristankatzcreative @rebbykernyoga @foundspaceyoga @restinpoweryogareiki

Trans people are a model for all of us of the joy in living authentically. Alex Kapitan shows us what it looks like in this moving piece about being called to wholeness.

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