As a Trans Woman, I’m Not Just Aging — I’m Growing Weary.
Content Note: This reflection includes mention of past sexual violence and gender-based trauma, and death by suicide. Please take care while reading. Living Openly, Growing Weary I live openly as a trans woman. I have for nearly two decades. I am not hiding. I do not lie about who I am. And I am not ashamed. I live in Canada, but grew up in San Jose, CA. And while I am grateful for the life I’ve built, I would be lying if I said I’m not growing weary. A Gathering Storm It’s not any one thing that weighs on me — it’s the convergence of so many. The political climate. The chilling laws being passed across borders. The ease with which people talk about us as if we are problems to be solved, threats to be managed, or ideologies to be banned. All of which has led to a rising sense of vigilance — a low-grade hum of alertness I’ve carried for years, now amplified by headlines and policies that feel like erasure by design. “Who gets to decide who matters?” Even seemingly unrelated...