I Won’t Speak to a Single Cis Person Today…Again

Photo by Maico Pereira on Unsplash

Multiple times a month, I go an entire day without speaking to a single cis person.

I am a therapist, and most of my clients are trans and/or nonbinary. Almost all of my friends are trans and/or nonbinary. I don’t talk to my cis mom every day, though I love the times I do. I don’t go out of my way to avoid cis people, because I am fortunate enough not to have to avoid them on purpose.

In these terrifying times where fascists like Michael Knowles at CPAC are calling for the “eradication” (hmm…sounds eerily similar to the word “extermination,” no?) of trans people, I have to take the joy where I can get it.

Most trans people are not in my position, so I don’t mean to boast. I mean to remind myself that on the days where I feel like melting into the floor because the transphobia is so vile, so heavy, and so burdensome that it’s hard to image a future for myself or my clients, many of whom are trans adolescent s— that I am so fortunate.

I’m so grateful that I have the privilege of only talking to trans people for an entire day on a semi regular basis. I get to live in a world where I am accepted and celebrated for my genderqueer trans man uniqueness.

All I can hope for is that opportunity for all trans people to experience unabashed acceptance, love and celebration of who they are, even if just once in a lifetime. We all deserve that feeling, and it’s a tragedy that it’s not as common as it could be.

We don’t need to live in a world where we have to go entire days without talking to a cis person in order to feel truly ourselves. We can live in a world where acceptance and love is that natural order.

But until then, I’ll take my wins where I can, and work to lift up the trans people around me and across the country who don’t have this privilege.

Cis people, do your part. Stay updated on the hundreds of anti-trans bills in almost every state, and show up at hearings, write and call your legislators. We can’t do this on our own.

We may have a target on our backs, but we have to move forward. I hope that we don’t have to do it alone.

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