Celebrating Transgender Visibility Day
The intricacies of self-identification, discovery and self-worth disrupt our tendency to keep within the confines of social construct. After a long journey of struggle and acceptance, Evan Hernandez has started to feel comfortable in his own skin and advocates for transgender rights.
Hernandez is a junior Fine Arts student who identifies as a transgender man and has been very active in the fight for transgender rights.
“I came out to my family and friends in 2017,” Hernandez said, “even though my parents didn’t understand they tried to and wanted me to be myself… my brother, however, was very vocal about how upset he was.”
Hernandez explained that life during his senior year of high school was very difficult, around the time he came out he faced verbal abuse. Hernandez’ mental health was strained due to the stress of school and the verbal abuse he received, he decided to leave home for a while to focus on helping himself.
While he was away his mother discussed things with his brother and helped him understand the situation.
“He realized that I wasn’t playing or ‘faking’ me identifying as a man. He’s actually very protective of me now when I’m home,” Hernandez said.
Criminal Justice major Alberto Oliveira expressed his feelings that society has a choice to educate themselves to try to comprehend what being transgender really means.
“We have an opportunity to focus on uplifting each other instead of choosing to discriminate against others that are different,” Oliveira said.
As International Transgender Day of Visibility, established on March 31, 2009, approaches it gives people a day to celebrate the courage, resilience and power that transgender and non-binary people have.
“I see that now it is legal for transgender and non-binary people to use the right restroom and now we can’t be discriminated at our jobs and schools, but that doesn’t solve the problem. A lot of transgender and non-binary people I know, including myself, are still scared to fully be ourselves in public,” Hernandez said.
Hernandez expresses the gratitude he feels towards the TAMUK student organization UNITY as members give him the support he needs since he feels like a man trapped in the wrong body. This takes a toll on him mentally, emotionally and physically.
UNITY is an LBGTQ+ student organization that welcomes all students. UNITY takes the opportunity to educate students and offers a safe haven and on campus support to questioning and LGBTQ+ students.
Psychology major Samantha Landaverde said she believes UNITY is a great place for Evan he has a group of people who support him through everything, and it is helpful to have a place to learn that anyone can be whoever they want without judgment.
Hernandez sails that as a community it is absolutely necessary to have a good support system.
wOliveira explained ways individuals can start to respect transgender people – by addressing them by their preferred names and pronouns. By doing so, their identity is reaffirmed.
International Transgender Day of Visibility, a day to celebrate transgender and non-binary people, is also used as a time to reflect back on those who were not able to make it for this celebration. Hernandez expressed that each year he researches a few transgender people who have passed to remember them, and he hopes that one day society will be more accepting.
“I don’t just celebrate on International Transgender Day of Visibility… I try to celebrate every day possible. This is why I’m an activist for trans rights… that is how I remember my fallen trans and non-binary siblings,” Hernandez stated.