okay, let me ask a question:

what does being visibly trans mean to you? like, emotionally. do you think it's important? is it something that you're comfortable with?

i am, in my opinion, pretty visibly trans doing a pretty visible thing and the only time i really remember that is when people talk about how it's important. i make a mental note of basically every time i've positively affected a queer person doing my stuff and those moments are some of the few things i actually keep in my memory when i need motivation. the best thing about being trans is the sense of community, even if not all of us hold exactly the same values. we're all on this ride together, for better or worse.

i think visibility is important too, i just don't see living my life as some sort of project or praxis. i'm doing the only thing i've ever cared about, as the woman i was meant to be, and i'm not gonna let anything stop me, especially not a transphobe. it feels like cognitive dissonance and it's progressed to the point where i literally forget i'm trans in public until i'm in a situation where i am acutely aware of it, either by someone mentioning it, being around another trans person, or being painfully, obviously alone in a sea of cis people. how the fuck do i keep forgetting a pillar of my existence despite actively being dysphoric almost every day? i'm torn between my identity being a foundational part of my personality and just wanting to forget about it when i'm out. i think passing fully would be great but i don't know who i'd be if i lost that thread tugging at my heart when i'm waiting in line at the store or whatever.

maybe that was all rambling and i'm doing my best not to give away too much info but it is something i'd like to get some perspective on. would you rather pass fully and live your life without any of the hard parts of being trans or would you rather live with the hardship and be a beacon for other trans/queer people to know that we're existing in the world and they can too?