Transgender Day of Visibility
It’s ironic that although transgender Americans are awarded one day of “visibility” in April, we seem to be more visible than ever; however, rarely in an accurate or positive light. As a teenager, when I told people I was transgender, it was often the first time they’d met a trans person. Most of the time it was hearing about famous trans women such as Laverne Cox or Caitlyn Jenner that was the start and end of their knowledge. Over a decade later, it feels like everyone knows about trans people and has a lot of opinions about our lives.
This makes sense when you consider that in the 2024 election cycle, over $215 million was spent on TV ads attacking trans rights. Despite all this public attention and unfounded scrutiny, we rarely hear, let alone listen to, the trans people who are directly impacted. As Equality Michigan’s Manager of Digital & Strategic Communications, I spend most days reading, writing, and talking about LGBTQ+ issues, but today, I want you to hear more about my personal experience.
Despite what these ads might lead you to believe, trans kids have childhoods like everyone else: we go to school, hang out with our friends, and play sports. As I grew older, like many teenagers, I was moody and uncomfortable in puberty. I quickly came to learn, however, that other teenagers weren’t bruising their ribs trying to keep their chest from growing. Unfortunately, my parents weren’t supportive and were sure that I was incorrect in my declaration of my identity and excused my short haircuts as acts of rebellion. As you can imagine, this caused a lot of conflict in our household. I was enrolled in therapy, saw many specialists, and tried just about anything, except medical intervention. The day I turned 18, I submitted my legal name change and started planning for my medical transition.
Gender affirming care is health care, and as is typical for health care in the United States, it is often quite expensive and slow. Devastatingly, in December of 2025 it got even harder for folks to access this care. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, a subagency of Health and Human Services (HHS), introduced two rules that prohibit state Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program plans from using federal funding for transgender youth health care. Attorneys General across the country are actively working to block this in court (see update at end of article). These “standards” were based on the HHS’s own report that was not peer-reviewed, hid the names of the authors, and undermines the consensus of every major U.S. mental health association. Although my transition technically followed some of these new “standards,” our care is not one size fits all.
I can speak first hand that this decision is not a neutral one. Delaying medical care, in any context, has serious consequences. Especially when these decisions are made without using scientific evidence to inform what is the best course of care for each individual. Everyone deserves access to quality, affordable, and personalized health care based on scientific understanding. These blanket bans are clearly not looking out for the wellbeing of others, but attempting to gut publicly funded hospitals and further an extreme anti-trans agenda.
Bans on gender-affirming care are being promoted under the false idea that it “protects” children, and yet we are clearly seeing the opposite effect. According to a survey from The Trevor Project, 90 percent of LGBTQ+ youth said their wellbeing was negatively impacted due to recent politics. Research continues to show that what LGBTQ+ youth need most is understanding, acceptance, and safety. In fact, it was reported that queer youth who live in very accepting communities attempted suicide at less than half the rate of those who live in very unaccepting communities. It’s simple: support saves lives.
Reflecting on my childhood, I fear I was naive in believing that things would only get easier for those who came after me. I even sometimes have this cruel sense of nostalgia for a time when my community was less known. In this same breath, I think of my elders before me and remember this is not the first difficult time for my community. I come from a legacy of those who forged their truth against all types of difficult circumstances, and nevertheless we survived. My life was better because someone who never met me, understood me. If you aren’t feeling seen or heard, know that I see you and I pray for the day we all can coexist visibly in peace. Until then, the work continues.
Feeling inspired to do something? Check out our fourth annual Statewide LGBTQ+ Capitol Day! Join us Wednesday, May 13 to meet face-to-face with lawmakers about the issues that matter most to our community, from health care access, to safety and equality for all. This event has grown exponentially since we brought it back in 2022 and is on track to be our largest one yet. Sign up today!
UPDATE: Just days ago, on March 23, a U.S. judge blocked the “declaration” from Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. denouncing gender-affirming care for youth. This was possible because of a coalition of 21 State Attorneys General challenging this, including Michigan’s own AG Dana Nessel. We are hopeful that this ruling will empower clinics to continue offering safe, legal, and essential services to youth.
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Axel Moss, Manager of Digital & Strategic Communications
Equality Michigan
