We live in a world that tells so many people they are not enough. I am here to tell everyone reading this article: You are. Especially our trans women in the United States, who fight to be seen without compromise. Like every other marginalized group in the country, they do not need your acceptance, just our respect. Violence against trans women of color happens in a context of daily gender discrimination and racism, according to a 2017 report from The Transgender Institute.
I believe some trans women are the most visible and vulnerable in the LGBQ community, similar to Muslim women who wear hijab (a head scarf) in public spaces. Trans people who have experienced violence in public spaces, such as being insulted or misgendered, were less likely to ask for help from the LGBQ community if they needed it. In addition, they are susceptible to police attention and harassment.
In the United States in particular, trans women provide a textbook lesson in intersectionality. They live at the center of this intersectionality of oppressive systems that include misogyny, white supremacy and the way the war on drugs has demonized people of color. If you don’t believe me, ask yourself this: Why are trans women are always left out of the story of Stonewall?
The trans women in our community take part in individual caretaking with younger LGBTQ people, prioritizing people over policy and reaching back into their community to help other young trans people find their way.
As a cisgender man, it is incumbent upon me to use my innate privilege to bring awareness to other cisgender people about the barriers trans people face. To paraphrase the words of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, “Trans people want no favor for their gender, they only ask from all of us that we take our feet off their necks.”