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Peeking around the Closet Door

Today is the International Transgender Day of Visibility, a day to show celebration and support for all of our transgender and non-binary friends around the world.

It's not an easy thing to be transgender or gender-fluid these days, there is an active and virulent anti-transgender movement in full swing. Much of it is tied to the ultra-religious right wing of the United States, but it's not just them. Even those in more moderate places on the political spectrum, as well as those on the far left, are generally okay with allowing, and even abetting, trans oppression.

This is where I've never really been able to wrap my head around the persistence of this anti-trans prejudice across the political spectrum. I just don't understand why it's so virulent, why any should carry that much hate in them. Do they fear something? What is motivating them? I just don't get it.

My company is, I think, among the top employers around when it comes to supporting the LGBTQ community including, specifically, the T in the acronym. Despite that, I would still be enormously reluctant to come out in the workplace. There is so much more hidden behind the doors of decision making that I, personally, would feel would ultimately halt my career moving much forward. Could you prove it it was connected? Probably not, but human nature is what it is.

I'm proud, sad, afraid, supportive, concerned, and just a little jealous at all of those in our community that have been able to step out from beyond peeking around the closet door. It takes an enormously rare courage to be able to do that. So, while there are quite a few people in my life, including my partner, that know and support me, there's still a waiting closet for me to tremble in.

Maybe, one day, that will change.

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