To every Black trans and genderqueer person existing right now:
You living your life, being yourself, existing in public. That threatens them. When you stop hiding, when you show up as who you are, the whole system they built to control you starts to crack. That is what they are actually afraid of.
You don’t have to explain yourself to anyone. Your pronouns are not up for debate. Your identity is not a discussion point. When people ask why you have to “tell everyone,” you can just not answer. You can walk away. You can choose people who get it without you having to prove anything.
This is not about them understanding or approving. This is about you. This is about the next kid like you who sees you being yourself and realizes it is possible. This is survival.
If someone says your existence hurts them, that is their problem, not yours. Their pain is not your responsibility to fix.
They are scared because you are living proof that another way is possible. That you don’t need their permission to be yourself. That is the real threat.
Black trans and genderqueer voices on identity, bodies, faith, and the systems designed to silence us. Click to read Assigned Sex: Unarchive
