I Came Out as a Trans Woman the Day After the U.S. Election

Today is #NationalComingOutDay, a day that shows the strength, determination and self-conviction of the LGBTQ community. I myself came out almost a year ago and it’s amazing how much has changed since—not only in my personal life, but in the political climate as well.

I came out the day after the American election because the results terrified me. Some of my family members were excited about Trump’s win, and particularly about some of the motions that may come against queer folks. I knew at that very moment that I couldn’t continue living a lie and needed to be seen. For so long I’d struggled to envision coming out, and yet it happened suddenly, before I could bite my tongue.

Today, it’s heartbreaking to reflect on the past year and see how my life has flourished, while watching near-daily battles waged against the LGBTQ community in the United States. I’m presently on top of my depression and managing my dysphoria. My employers refer to me by my preferred name and pronouns. Canadian laws have played a significant role in those things.

Meanwhile, south of the border, Gavin Grimm’s case was dropped from the Supreme Court and shuffled through the system unresolved, a military trans ban was implemented, and most recently, a religious freedoms directive, allowing federal agencies to discriminate against the LGBTQ persons on the basis of belief systems, was issued. For my queer siblings in the U.S., this year’s #NationalComingOutDay is an act of defiance and determination of self. It represents the true heart and soul of the LGBTQ community. We exist and love endlessly, despite all odds. It reminds me of the duty we have to play an active role in the governments that lead us.

I’m extremely grateful to have family members who opened their hearts and minds to eventually accept me in my coming out. If they hadn’t, I, like many in the queer community, would have to rely solely on the support of legal and public services. As it currently stands in the United States, members of the LGBTQ community not only have to overcome the obstacles that obstruct such support systems, but also the Trump administration’s message that it is acceptable to be intolerant of LGBTQ rights.

On #NationalComingOutDay this year, I’m thinking of the American LGBTQ community and the unique struggles they are currently facing.

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