Transgender advocates dispel common misconceptions about themselves: ‘People think we look a certain way’

March 31 is the International Transgender Day of Visibility, a day dedicated to recognizing transgender and non-binary people around the world and acknowledging the work that still needs to be done to achieve justice for transgender people. In The Know is celebrating trans stories during the month of March in a series called “Trans Visibility Matters,” in collaboration with the Phluid Project.

March 31 is International Transgender Day of Visibility, a day dedicated to celebrating transgender people and raising awareness of the struggles they face worldwide.

In honor of the occasion, In The Know has teamed up with its parent company Verizon Media and The Phluid Project, a New York City-based gender-free brand, to hold a “Trans Visibility Matters” roundtable discussion.

The conversation, hosted by MAKERS producer Kelly Matousek, will include three members of the trans community profiled by In The Know throughout the month of March: Jake Graf, Mila Jam and Schuyler Bailar.

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Graf, Jam and Bailar all exemplify, in their own way, what it means to show up unapologetically every day. By speaking out on visible and open forums, they are inviting others to also live their most authentic lives.

“To me, visibility is about getting those who are not in the community to recognize our existence,” Jam explained to In The Know. “I consider [International Transgender Day of Visibility] like a holiday for cis people to recognize the beautiful greatness of trans people, non-binary people, gender non-conforming people.”

“Visibility means hope,” Graf added. “I grew up never seeing another trans person until I was 25 years old, and feeling like I was the only person in the world who felt like me.”

“I think we often think of visibility as public-facing,” Bailar said. “But there’s also visibility of me knowing myself and me saying, ‘Hey, I’m transgender and I’m visible to myself.'”

Watch the event live on March 31 at 11 a.m. ET/8 a.m. PT in the video above to see Matousek guide the conversation with Graf, Jam and Bailar.

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If you enjoyed reading this interview, check out In The Know’s profile on the trans fitness instructor who said cycling gave him a “second shot” at life.

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The post In The Know, Verizon Media and The Phluid Project host ‘Trans Visibility Matters’ roundtable appeared first on In The Know.