Visibility

I write this as we are in transgender week of visibility which culminates in Transgender Day of Visibility.

It's always an important and busy time of the year for me.

I'm usually involved in a few things be it panel events or conferences or the like and this year is no exception. 

Visibility can take many shapes.

I am open about myself and my history. I've utilised my experience as an educational tool as well as just being out and about to give others confidence.

This past week though there have been a few points where visibility took on a distinct effect.

If you have been reading this blog for awhile you'll know I'm involved in many things, projects and organisations.

I was at a meeting last Saturday of one such project where discussions centred on what the community should be doing locally. As the discussion developed over the course of the event, I realised by the comments made that my visibility has an effect. By just being me and being out there others see me and see what they can do.

I've never looked at my activism for want of a better word as being a personal ego driven thing. Never been nominated for an award in my community, barely recognised within the community and I'm just simply trying to get people to understand and listen.

Yet it seems in the understated way I do things it's effective. 

Visibility in that respect works. 

In another circumstance this week I also found smaller scale visibility effective for personal reasons.

It's often said that in busy times you lose touch with others but events can draw you back for however limited time. 

Attending a funeral for a friend's family this week, I was conscious that whilst I grew up with this community, they wouldn't have met me in the flesh post transition. In times gone by I would have been very nervous and wary attending such an occasion but this week things were different.

Yes I'd known a lot of these people since childhood and they were aware of my transition but you can never be certain that acceptance is universal. How will they approach the change, how do I approach them?

I took the view that this is me and I should have nothing to fear anymore. I treated my reconciliation with old friends just as that. There were some of the expected questions but as always I answered politely and honestly. It felt great to reconnect even for such a short time and even under circumstances so solemn. 

We all have our own busy lives now but times like this tell me friendship forged in childhood and early adulthood is endearing and enduring.

This week told me that visibility indeed has many facets. To those in and around my community. To those who knew me in times gone by .

This week I felt my visibility mattered.....not that it doesn't any other week....but in clear definable ways. 

This is why weeks highlighting my community exist and I hope to see you at an event if not this week but over the summer.

Take care in the meantime and be your own visible self.

Amanda xx