Celebrating Transgender Day of Visibility

As we mark the International Transgender Day of Visibility on 31 March, we are delighted to bring you this message from UCA member Elliot Nicholas. 

The Uniting Church celebrates all God's people as beloved and made in the image of God. This belief and commitment was expressed in the Assembly's submission and appearances in response to the recent Religious Discrimination Bill where we expressed particular concern for the safety and wellbeing of LGBTIQ people, including transgender people. We continue to commit to seeking to be places of welcome and inclusion for all people.

An online worship service will be held on 31 March to celebrate Transgender Day of Visibility. Organised by Equal Voices, with the support of the Assembly's Transforming Worship Circle, organisers say the event is part of the vitally needed affirmation of gender diverse people at this time.

Today is an important day for all gender diverse peoples in society. I was originally hesitant as to what I would write. My life story? My trauma? Pain? Etc, etc. Then it hit me, transgender visibility is more than just revealing the past and connecting from related traumas.

Transgender visibility day is a day where we unite on a proud and triumphant front, where - yes, we do occasionally empathise with each others hardships - but on the broader side of the meaning of transgender visibility day, it is a day of celebrating our strengths and the sacrifice of other gender diverse advocates before us.

We live in a society where the conundrum of possession presses every corner of society, the desire to always have more. More money, more love, a better career, more friends, more attention, a better house, the list goes on. And in this mindset we are surrounded by pressing matters of fair significance such as the stresses that the people of Ukraine face, or - closer to
home - our upcoming election for those of us who can vote as the political drama never ceases to amaze me and so much more. Our ability to be insatiable leads us into a paradigm that we will never achieve peace until we reach the very top.

Transgender Visibility Day gives us that well deserved refreshing perspective that we as gender diverse people in today’s society are allowed to take a moment to respect our own individual journey, congratulate others on their own and thank the rest of society for progressing for us - regardless of how quick they really are - as more younger people continue to understand and explore their identity.

So as a transgender person, who also struggles to recognise and congratulate his own achievements, I would like to urge you to take that time today. Say thank you to yourself and others who are on this path of discovery, it makes a world of difference.  Give yourself time and trust in the process of society's progression.

Thank you for listening - whether you are a gender diverse/transgender person, a fantastic ally or if this is the first time you have ever heard from a transgender person - you are doing your best and remember today is a day to recognise and notice transgender people all over the world.

Have a great day!

Elliot Nicholas,
He/Him.

Read more of Elliot's story shared in Crosslight magazine

Join the online service: https://www.facebook.com/events/1129498407837311/

Picture above: Elliot with his mother Rev Amanda Nicholas. Credit - Crosslight (Synod of VIC/TAS)