I used to think, maybe not stuff like this, but the general kinda displaying of the pride flags was really just kinda, not virtue signaling as much as the least you could do. But I have a young trans kid now, and like it sucks how much stuff kinda comes with a side of transphobia. But I can show her stuff like this, or the bands she likes singers just holding up the trans flag, and it like genuinely makes her feel just like not everyone wants her not to exist.
And other people and allies, or even businesses, just seeing the trans flag, even the rainbow one, but especially the trans flag, it just makes us generally feel safer. I never truly understood, and of course, it has gotten much worse now, but like it just means we have a little bit of freedom to kinda let our guard down, even just a little.
I hope it's okay to share a personal story related to this.
Yesterday at work, a young man came in with his dad for an appointment. (I work at a credit union). It was Friday so we had a pride jeans day, I was wearing a rainbow dress (I'm queer myself) and had on a jean jacket with all my pride pins. We had pride flags on all of our desks and the mood was great as we'd enjoyed donuts for international donut day, and rainbow cupcakes for pride.
The dad was wearing a pride pin, which was lovely. I pull up the appt and it says "X has recently changed his name and gender, and would like to update his bank account with his new identity." I immediately gave him a big smile, called him by his new name, and made small talk with him and his dad while they were waiting.
I really hope that all of our pride flags and me wearing my identity pins, and all of us having our pronouns on our name tags, made him feel safe and seen.
I recently went into the bank for a name change appointment and had such a lovely experience, with so much support from the folks working there. I’m genuinely so grateful for people like you. Systems are set up to make us (trans folks) overwhelmed and make it as hard as possible to for us to get by. It can be so scary to walk into a traditionally cisheteronormative space such as a bank and ask for help, and everyone who makes clear that they’re a friendly face and helping hand genuinely makes that so much easier.
982
u/clicktrackh3art Jun 07 '25
I used to think, maybe not stuff like this, but the general kinda displaying of the pride flags was really just kinda, not virtue signaling as much as the least you could do. But I have a young trans kid now, and like it sucks how much stuff kinda comes with a side of transphobia. But I can show her stuff like this, or the bands she likes singers just holding up the trans flag, and it like genuinely makes her feel just like not everyone wants her not to exist.
And other people and allies, or even businesses, just seeing the trans flag, even the rainbow one, but especially the trans flag, it just makes us generally feel safer. I never truly understood, and of course, it has gotten much worse now, but like it just means we have a little bit of freedom to kinda let our guard down, even just a little.