In Remembrance and Vision

Transgender Fam,

We hear you. We see you. We believe in you. We are invested in your thriving. We remember your existence.

Transgender Day of Remembrance is always a challenging day for me. While I’m one hundred percent behind its purpose and importance, the amplified grieving that happens during this period is a lot when it’s something that is consistent throughout the rest of the year. I imagine that most folks with marginalized identities, trans or otherwise, are having similar experiences. I saw it reflected in the recent election cycle. The folks I know that have been grieving and activated since 2016 struggled differently than those that were just coming into “seeing.” It’s not as if the dangers have gotten less, it’s just that the struggle has almost become normalized in our bodies.

I hate this. This intense grieving for our own lack of safety in existence should not be something that is normal. And, yet, here we are.

So what is there to do?

Hear each other. See each other. Believe in each other. Invest in your individual and communal existence! Fight back against the insidious normalization of this struggle to survive. Fight back by thriving! Stand your ground through joy! Persevere through pleasure!

And if it feels too hard today, rest. Rest as a form of resistance. Fighting should not be your everyday.

We hear you. We see you. We believe in you. We are invested in your thriving. We remember your existence. WE ENVISION YOUR FUTURE.

In remembrance + vision,

Traci and Gather & Grow OC