TORS.SI

I wanted to do a small contribution for this year with the bit of free time I’ve had for my trans and nb folks. And with Raine being one of my favourite queer characters who are defined beyond this aspect, written with so much care, grace, and dignity, I thought they’d be my proper vessel to celebrate this commemoration.

Raine felt right more than. They're a character who carries so much, from grief, resistance, love, the weight of doing what’s right in a world that keeps pushing back with this unshakeable dignity that I find genuinely moving. And when I found out one of their unused concept designs matched The Black Parade aesthetic, it clicked. Even if the album itself talks about death, there’s this side about reflecting in life and finding each other in the dark and marching anyway that felt true to them.

I won’t pretend I fully understand what it's like to navigate the world that way, especially right now, when it feels like every other week there’s a new headline, a new discourse, or a new wave online who seem deeply invested in making life harder for people who have never done a single thing to them. But contrary to them, I’ve known people. Genuinely wonderful, funny, creative, warm people who are trans or nonbinary. Bonded with them, laughed with them, and even learned from many who are, from different cultures and contexts. 

They are to this day, without exception, some of the most resilient and genuinely good people I’ve had the pleasure to know. And the way some corners of the world talk about them doesn’t even come close to matching who they actually are. And it matters to me not just as an outsider or observer, but because this month is mine too, as both a bisexual and demiromantic/demisexual individual, despite being more quiet about it in my daily life. It makes me want to use whatever small corner of the internet I have to say clearly: I see you, I’m glad you exist, and you deserve so much better than what you’ve been getting.

So, this one’s for everyone who’s tired but still going. For everyone who’s been told they’re too much, too confusing, too whatever, know that you’re not, and you never were, and you never will.

And for every time when it gets heavy, always remember this words of tenacity:

WE'LL CARRY ON!