VISIBILITY MATTERS

Your digital footprint starts before you can even walk.

In today’s data economy, “free” inboxes from Google and Microsoft, like Gmail and Outlook, are funded by data collection. Emails can be analyzed to personalize ads, train algorithms, and build long-term behavioral profiles to sell to third-party data brokers.

From family updates, school registrations, medical reports, to financial service emails, social media accounts, job applications, a digital identity can take shape long before someone understands what privacy means.

Privacy shouldn’t begin when you’re old enough to manage your settings. It should be the default from the start.

Proton Mail takes a different approach: no ads, no tracking, no data profiling — just private communication by default. Because the next generation deserves technology that protects them, not profiles them.

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Yo, I was never in it for the trophies.

I just wanted to take a stand, to make an impact.

I think I am doing both, and more.

I didn’t live to transition,

no, I transitioned to live, and I know there are others like me.

In the beginning of my transition (and by the very nature of transitioning),

I was extremely selfish. Egg was, and still is, wonderful, considering how long I have been transitioning. Coming out as trans or nonbinary/gnc/gfl is hard enough. Now, imagine telling a spouse of any amount of time, especially when you get into the higher years of being together, that, not only are you coming out; you are going to medically transition too.

Now, don’t get it twisted. This is a major decision in one’s life. With medical transition, it is hard to turn back. It can be done. I have heard of it, but it is extremely rare. Just to rap this part up—medical transition, when necessary, or wanted, saves lives. Now with a flourish, and a wave of my digital pen, it is back to me!!

The main thing for me, as stated above (well, kind of)

is that I want to be a beacon, a strong search light in the darkest

of nights, the sun in the bleakest of days. I want to uplift my

community. I feel like I am that shining light. I have been out for 10

years now. I have had 3 surgeries, as well as electrolysis and laser hair

removal. I have been through the pain; I have walked through the fire

and I am here, all the better for my earlier struggles. Don’t get me

wrong—transition did not cure everything. However, it did give me

a chance to live a good, if not great, life. I have been told countless

times by parents, friends, brothers and sisters that they know

someone who is transitioning, and understood better their story

by listening to my story. These people internalized my story, and spread

it, disseminating needed information to those who have not come out/

started transitioning. It is this information, and my story, that I am proud

of. I am also proud of being extremely visible in my day to day life. What

you see is what you get, when it comes to my transness. I am Black. I am

tall. I am femme. I am soft. I take up, I occupy, space. I wear dresses all

the time, mainly because I love them. A percentage, though, is to show

other trans people that they too can step out of the house in a dress, a

beat face, and some nice shoes. Or whatever clothing makes them

comfortable. the main takeaway is that it is possible. There is life on

the other side of deciding to come out or transition. It is real in the

field now, not gonna lie. Buuuutttt, this too shall pass. We have to keep

hope. I want to give that hope. I want to be a model for my community,

keeping hopes alive.

I have gotten the worst of the worst vitriol and piss on both Substack

and YouTube recently. That is the price I have to pay for being

so out. I take it on the chin most days, because I believe, completely

that this is the good fight, and I was meant to use my position (or

lack thereof) in the tiny part of the community that I represent to let

people know that there are older trans people who are thriving. Maybe

not thriving financially, but really thriving financially, Yes, maybe not in

gold coins, but financially rich in love as a transaction for visibility and

more love.