It's National Coming Out Dayyyy, and this is a thread about why I think it's real effin' important/especially meaningful to support transgender people by following them on Instagram and other visual-based platforms.

Personal story to start with.

When I joined Instagram a few years back, I was terrified. I had dealt with so much harassment as a trans person, because I hadn't yet started medical transition, wasn't sure that I wanted to, and was often targeted for not "passing."

But that was also the exact reason why I joined. I wanted other people to know that someone who looked like me could still be visible, valid, and loud as a transgender person.

Being cis-passing should never be a requirement for being visible in our community.

There are obviously dimensions of privilege that made it safer for me to put my face in front of my words, and to be out in such a public way. I don't want that to be lost in the conversation.

But I think it's really important to talk about the fact that because there is so much pressure for transgender people to visibly conform, a lot of folks — even those who are otherwise very connected to issues around equity and justice — lend more validity to those who do.

If we're talking about "diversifying our instagram feeds," I think we need to get more specific about what that means in the context of transgender people.

This needs to (very intentionally) include gender nonconforming trans people, nonbinary folks, "non-passing" folks.

The whole point of diversifying your feed is that you're trying to break out of these paradigms that dictate what is and isn't "acceptable."

But if the only trans people we uplift are those that "pass," how much are we challenging ingrained cis normativity?

So when I say "follow trans people on visual platforms," I don't just mean those that blend in seamlessly in a cisnormative world. I mean those that flip that world on its head, too.

It takes enormous courage to be visible as a trans person, full stop, but especially when your process, your aspirations, and your identity doesn't align with specific ideals.

Following these folks is meaningful because not only is it an act of solidarity, but it is a commitment to doing the inner work of challenging ourselves on a consistent basis to dismantle our notions about what gender is and isn't, and whose gender identity is and isn't valid.

Because you can do the cognitive work, do the reading, do the reflecting. You can read threads like this.

But the visual pieces of this matter a lot, because how most of us confront gender in the real world isn't text-based.

One of the easiest ways to expand how we think about gender and how we humanize transgender people is to weave them into the fabric of our social media experiences. Especially when we have to look at folks who are so often invisibilized or punished for being seen.

Our community is extraordinarily diverse, and my hope is that when you follow trans folks, you're not just following those that make you feel more comfortable. I hope you're following trans folks who truly challenge you to grow and dig deeper.

And that means locating the discomfort you feel when you see a trans femme who isn't shaving their face, or the twinge of confusion that comes up when you see a trans man in lingerie, or the judgment that bubbles up when you see a non-binary person who "looks cis."

The trans woman with a pixie cut and a suit coat, the non-binary person who doesn't plan on taking hormones, the trans masc who doesn't bind their chest. Everyone and anyone in-between. The work isn't done ever, but especially when these folks are still evoking a reaction in you.

When trans folks choose to be visible, it is a gift. As you see trans folks using the hashtags and making themselves known, now is a good time to check in with yourself and investigate if the diversity within our community is also reflected in your feed.

That also means that rather than being a passive observer, you're actively engaging, boosting, supporting. Be in community with trans content creators. Boost the signal. Your engagement is an investment in our platforms; you are what helps us grow and deepens our impact.

And! If the only trans people you're following are white, able-bodied, "cis-passing," . . . then no, it isn't reflective of our community, either.

And! If you've tweeted more about TERFs, JK Rowling, and others who despise us than you have about the trans content creators that you actively support . . . hello! Time to course-correct.

Stepping off my soap box. But the tl;dr is that if you're only supporting, following, and boosting trans folks that maintain your sense of comfort... reflect, reflect, reflect.