00:01Trans Day of Visibility observed each year on the 31st of March highlights the
00:05experiences of trans and non-binary people. At the one centre in Gateshead
00:10community members say the messages of inclusion and support are important to
00:14carry throughout the year. We've gone back as a country we used to be in 2007
00:19number one in an index called the LGBTQ index which is a European index of the
00:25best places to live in Europe for a queer person. We're now number 22. Italy is the
00:31only worst one in this group. LGBTQ people are your friends, your neighbours, your
00:36brothers, your sisters, your mums, your dads, your neighbours. We're one community and as we
00:41always say we're not fighting for more we're just fighting for the same and
00:45we'll stand up for your rights if you stand up for ours. There's a lot of
00:49challenges but I think it's kind of the day-to-day it kind of builds up more and
00:54you might have kind of isolated incidents of you know not being able to get taken
00:59seriously in healthcare for even basic conditions and not being able to access
01:04treatments and things like that. The exhaustion of okay my mates want to go to
01:08the pub like does that pub have a toilet facility that I'm going to be able to use
01:13does the doors lock and I have to think about all these things before I even just
01:17be like yeah I want to go have a pint in the in the sun you know and so it
01:22can be
01:23quite an exhausting process and as well but I know for me that if I didn't come
01:31out as Oscar and I didn't choose to live this life I wouldn't still be alive now.
01:35Some of our trans people that we support they say well actually we're not keen on
01:40it because we'd rather be invisible and that's so that people don't notice them
01:44and that's really really sad but I know the people that are more comfortable and
01:50are more out there and and from me personally I think it's really important
01:55to say look like trans people have been here since humans have been here it's just
02:01that there's certain political parties certain people of influence who are
02:09saying that it's not right or it's a trend you're sort of discriminated against and
02:13we're seeing this a similar pattern of behavior in the 80s when people didn't like gay people and
02:18you know that was a horrible time and unfortunately it's come round again.
02:22I think visibility for me is more important now than ever particularly with kind of the current
02:28climate and hostility that we're facing in the UK being visible being proud but also for me it's
02:35really important for kind of younger people who are also kind of going through their own gender
02:40journeys and processes as well that they have people that they can look up to and and see that it's
02:46okay
02:46and it's all right and you know to be yourself and to express yourself how you want to.
02:52Organisations say while the annual awareness day provides an important platform support for
02:57trans communities is needed year round.
02:59We can see it.
Comments