Are key to community

ly, not one is based on fact and they need to be held accountable for what they put out into the world.

‘It can be picked apart but the onus gets put on us as a minority to do that and it’s exhausting. Sometimes you have to just swallow your pride and walk away and other times you bite their heads off and it doesn’t get very far. Through subtle words that are used, that’s how we internalise these things and that’s how we betray the people at the other end of those stories,’ she said.

In terms of how Irish people can treat people in the transgender community better, Veronica said that it comes back to simply thinking before you speak.

‘I see a lot of freedom with words and reactions, and not that conscious intelligent reflection on ‘what I’m saying, does it mean what I think it means?’ and that’s learned life-long. In Ireland it comes down to the idea of questioning your assumptions.

‘For example, you see a little girl and you think it means something about who she is, her life and who she’ll grow up to become, marry, what car she’ll drive and what clothes she’ll wear, the life she’s going to have. We have to stop assuming these things.

‘When you see me on the street, whatever you perceive or think I’m presenting as or it says about me as an individual, if you just took a moment to think before opening your mouth, a lot of harm would be reduced.

‘The other thing is to be comfortable with being uncomfortable and be willing to ask questions. Introduce yourself with your own pronouns and normalise pronoun declaration because in doing that, you open the door for the other person if you’re not quite sure.

‘That simple act of awareness and kindness will allow that trans person to breathe a little bit easier around you as a cis person. Asking that question is never ever going to be worse than assuming. The other thing is that you should never be sure on someone’s gender as there are non-binary people, but a cis person needs to be aware that they are coming from a position of power.

‘They need to understand the history that they bring to an interaction with a trans person as we come from different worlds’. transphobia has an impact on mental health, certainly in his own experience.

‘I was diagnosed with anxiety and depression even before I came out. But being out as trans has definitely made it a bit more of a challenge. Going to therapy and friends are helping though.

‘I remember going through secondary school, the reception I was given wasn’t the best, especially by those around my age and older. The transphobia was fairly obvious to me at that stage. People would call me names like “freak” and stuff like that. But it’s a mixed kind of thing, I’ve experienced the bad side and the good side many times’.

Nick spoke about finding support from trans-specific and LGBT+ support groups.

‘Going to those groups made up of other trans and LGBT+ people for support was very important. Meeting up and getting to know other people who are like you, it gives you the drive to disagree with those who would have been critical towards me and see that it was wrong, but it also gives you that push to be proud of yourself and to be yourself.

‘Hearing other peoples’ stories gives you a little bit of hope,’ he says.

Although the national Pride event took place in a virtual capacity this year, Nick said that going to a positive gathering like this means a lot to the community.

‘Going to big Pride events is amazing, especially coming from a rural place like Wexford. You go up to Dublin and see so many different people who are like you and you feel like you’re not the only one experiencing this. I have support from other people in that way.

‘Sometimes the media can promote negativity towards trans people, and petitions are a big thing at the moment. My friends and I try not to get too involved with it, but we feel if it’s something we need to get involved with, then we do’.

‘What I would say to someone reading this article is that to show support and respect to trans people, education is really a big thing. If we had trans issues taught to people early-on in life and be something that is recognised and not be given prejudice towards. Even from as early as when children are old enough to comprehend it.

‘The message is: we are people, just like you. Being trans in Ireland has been a long and difficult road for me, but in other ways it has been great and I’m glad to be out’.

GOING TO A BIG PRIDE EVENT IS AMAZING... YOU FEEL LIKE YOU’RE NOT THE ONLY ONE EXPERIENCING THIS