Today, on Transgender Day of Visibility, EQDG honors and celebrates the lives, contributions, and resilience of transgender individuals everywhere. At a moment when dangerous political attacks are threatening access to gender-affirming care and undermining the very right of transgender individuals to live openly and authentically, we stand firm: transgender lives are valid, and are deserving of dignity, safety, and belonging. We reject policies and rhetoric that strip away essential healthcare, stigmatize the community, and put the lives of transgender individuals, particularly transgender youth, at risk. EQDG affirms that every individual, whether it be in the past, present, or future, has the right to exist safely, access the care they need, and live free from fear, discrimination, and violence.

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When you look at me

By Rachel Beattie

 

When you look at me

You don't see a human being, you see a freak

You don't see a person who loves, just like you

You don't see a person who has a family, just like you

You don't see a person who plays, just like you

You don't see a person who laughs, just like you

You don't see a person who has some of the same interests, just like you

You don't see a person who works, just like you

You don't see a person who wants to live as their authentic selves, just like you

You don't see a person who has insecurities, frailties and flaws, just like you

 

All you see is a freak on the outskirts of society, who shouldn't have any civil rights, who should be mocked and made fun of, just because you think I am different than you.

 

I'm not all that different than you.  I want to live and not be afraid to walk out my front door, just like you

 

So please, the next time you look at me, see me as a human being, just like you.