Blog: Visibly Invincible

A blog dedicated to the 2021 Trans Day of Visibility.

#TransIsBeautiful

Still dripping wet from the walk home from school. If I was lucky, sometimes I would be able to catch the ‘schemy’ (the local bus that went through all the schemes and different housing estates for anyone who may be unawares to our charming Scottish vernacular, ken) but no the day. I was hungry, I was tired, I’d been made to play netball that day so of course, I was pure totally raging as well! But my mum had rented a movie for us to watch for the weekends, to kick off Friday night with a wee spot of distraction and relaxation. This film was “Juno”.

Elliot Page grew to international fame, and many recall the film “Juno”, like me, as the first introduction to their extraordinary talent; the dry sense of humour; the deadpan delivery; the honesty of the performance, it’s no surprise the film was such a huge hit and that Elliot became a huge star.

Elliot Page went public with his gender identity via Instagram and recently, has published his story in Time Magazine and has become the first trans man to be featured on the cover of this magazine. Of course, he has been met with some negativity from people, but he has also received overwhelming support and celebration from many. This is heart-warming to see and so fantastic to hear and of course, we fully embrace Elliot Page living, as he phrased it, fully himself. It’s just difficult to see non-famous trans folks oftentimes not receiving the same public support.

“The End?” Choreographed by Tommy Small, Performed by Alex McCrossan

In our recent piece “The End?”, commissioned by Dance Base, we explored the isolation, loneliness, and grief experienced by some trans and/or non-binary people particularly during lockdown, but of course, these issues for some of our community go far beyond pandemic-related seclusion. But time and time again, trans folks have proven their resilience, though no one should ever have to. For us, it’s a cliched remark, but it is true that Trans Day of Visibility is every single day. During “The End?” we wanted to bring visibility to all too overlooked everyday difficulties of trans and/or nonbinary people, and bring them quite literally into the spotlight. But, as a nonbinary dancer, we feel that even though the subject matter was difficult and perhaps even distressing, simply having me perform in the space, using movement choreographed by Tommy Small that used themes I felt closely connected with, that in itself is trans visibility.

With the current climate we are in globally, socially, and politically, trans day of visibility is no less important than it has ever been. In fact, some could argue it is even more crucial to maintain public support for this part of the queer community. Be it celebrities, close friends or family, or a stranger walking past you in Tesco who asks for your help because they canny reach the Jaffa Cakes (not a sponsor), trans folks are living our best lives and trying to keep the ‘opinions’ of ignorance out of our heads – which in turn, leaves more room for Cher songs, so it’s a win-win. We may always be invisible to some people who aren’t willing to see our beauty – and personally? That’s okay with me. While others think we’re invisible, we know we’re invincible!

Image from “The End?“ photoshoot. Photographer: David Scott