I came out as transgender at 14. And, until very recently, I’ve been terrified of not passing as male.
I believed that being totally stealth and assimilating into masculinity would allow me to lead a normal and happy life. Makeup usually made me feel uncomfortable. But the morning after Donald Trump won the election, I stared at the black war paint around my eyes and I felt strong, defiant and free.
I don’t care if my non-binary identity isn’t “normal” enough for people to easily understand. “Normal” in our society is misogyny and queerphobia; the election just made the more apparent than ever.
This year the Republican Party’s official platform took some of the most anti-LGBT positions in its history. Being stealth kept me safe. But now I want my queerness to be seen, or else discrimination will go unseen. And eyeliner is just the beginning.