Trans Day of Remembrance/Resilience

This month several activists from YouthResource, our LGBTQ Youth Leadership Program, have written pieces reflecting on TDOR and what it means to them. Read what Corem has to say:

I remember growing up in North Philly….

Raised within the convictions of a pentecostal family that really made me struggle with myself and my identity.

Subconsciously I knew that I wasn’t what my family had expected me to be.

At a very young age I learned to silently whisper my fears and abominations into the ear of my families “Lord and Savior.”

Maybe I should have prayed a little louder, drowned my demons a little longer, lay rice at my feet and bury my knees in it a little harder.

Praised out your name until my tongue danced behind my lips and I fell into your arms.

Where were your arms!

Till the reflection in the mirror yelled at me back.

Liar!

I held on so tight to that heterotypical narrative until my veins popped out from under my skin.

I was always androgynous.

I pumped through them hood streets with discounted lip gloss and that nice $10 foundation I copped on sale at the local walgreens near K&A.

It wasn’t until I got involved in the movement with organizations like GALAEI, and Norris Square Neighborhood Project that I discovered it was okay to not want to conform to the standards of society where they kind of police fluidity and look at it as such a taboo thing.

I remember being scared about leaving my house with a face beat, uncomfortable in the fact that my life was put at risk every time I decided to be unapologetic about who I was.

One day I got so sick of that fear.

My gender is as light as the wind and with it I️ will sail.