CHAPTER 18

HOPES FOR THE FUTURE

It’s always hard to say what the future holds. Things can change very rapidly, and even once you think things are quite stable, they can easily be shaken by a single event or one person. Trans people have certainly come a long way. Even though we have always existed in one form or another, our current form and representation are only a few decades old.

We’ve made immense progress since we started banding together and campaigning for equal rights, especially in the past ten years. Many countries now offer health care services to trans people and we are able to access lifesaving treatment. At the same time, there are countries where trans people are in danger every single day and where being out is extremely dangerous. These people have absolutely no access (or very limited access) to services, and their lives are soured by fear, stigma and hate. It’s therefore difficult to imagine when all trans people across the globe will truly have the rights that they deserve, but it is clear that it is a wider issue about equality. Human rights across the globe are not respected and many people live without basic needs and access to services. It’s therefore so important that we as trans people show solidarity with other issues, other groups and other human rights causes. Without human rights for everyone and liberation for all of us, we can never truly be free. We can never truly reach all trans people and ensure our human rights until we are all included.

But it’s also important to be positive and celebrate the progress that we have made. We’re constantly moving forwards and despite the fact that it might seem quite daunting at times with the state of the world, there will be a time when we will have equal rights and can live our lives to the full. In many countries like the UK, trans people have the potential to live happy, successful and meaningful lives, excelling in all subjects and practices. Even little steps are signs of progress and personal victories contribute to the bigger picture.

So if you ever feel a bit overwhelmed, just remember how far we have come and all the amazing things that are actually happening. Our hope is that we will live in a society where anyone, regardless of their assigned sex or gender, can express themselves in any way that they want. We want to live in a society where we aren’t restrained by gender expectations and we can all be equal in all our beautiful diversity. This doesn’t mean that we necessarily want to see women and men erased – it means we want to see people express themselves as men, women or non binary in so many different ways and we can live in a society where there is no right or wrong way of being a woman or being a man. A society where no one is seen as less or more, simply based on their assignation. A society where gender doesn’t place us in a hierarchy of power. A society where hate, violence and stigma are not tolerated. We want a world where no one has to justify or explain their existence and where we can all express ourselves without stigma and persecution.

Fox Fisher

We want all trans people to be able to access the medical services that they need, without any form of medicalisation or gatekeeping of our gender identities. We want trans people to be in control of their own destinies and their own interventions. We want trans people to be the main directors of their lives and not dependent on the opinion of others and their judgements of their gender and whether they are ‘trans’ enough or not. We want a place where you can get access to what you need, without having to justify it or fulfil criteria based on outdated gender roles and expectations. We want trans people to be free.

On a more personal note, we want to have our own little cute house by the seaside, make art and write more books. We want to live a comfortable, good life, surrounded by the people we love and be able to follow our hobbies and interests. We want to have the time to make more art, to cook, to grow a herb garden and watch all the movies and series and take long walks by the seaside.

WHAT ARE YOUR HOPES FOR THE FUTURE?

Emile Judson, 15-year-old trans man

My personal hope for the future is to love myself and advocate for the rest of the community. I hope to see myself living a good life and going to college for technical theatre in a few years. I think the future for trans people will be a more accepting environment. The acceptance is growing and I hope it will grow more, and I don’t see why it wouldn’t.

Avery Elliot, 17-year-old non binary

In my future as a trans person, my next step is physically transitioning. I can’t wait to start T and get top surgery. In a few years I want to be able to walk around without a shirt and feel proud. I want this world to be safe for my trans siblings. I can’t wait for more representation in the media, and in politics.

Hastur, 17-year-old trans woman

I see a bright future for trans people, where it isn’t ‘trans and cis’, instead, it’s just ‘us’. My goals involve working with people, maybe [as] a counsellor, maybe something completely different. Whatever I’m happy doing.

Tristan, 19-year-old trans man

The UK seems like a scary place for trans people right now, but I hope it will get better. Personally, I’d like to be able to access medical transition and in a few years to graduate from university with my degree and having made some positive changes for other trans people through working with my SU [students’ union].

Xen, 16-year-old non binary

As an adult, I see myself as that one eccentric free spirit that is proud to be queer along with many other things. I especially see myself as an adorable boy in a sunflower dress that encourages everyone to get a pet snake. That may seem specific for a majority of people, but I suppose you could say I like planning things.

Silas, 17-year-old non binary

I hope to change my name. I hope to go on testosterone. I hope to get top surgery. I hope that when I ask people to use ‘they/them’ pronouns, they will just use them instead of asking why I can’t be normal and use ‘she’ or saying that singular ‘they’ is not grammatically correct. I hope I can still be feminine without feeling like I am invalidating my nonbinaryness. I hope I can contribute to women’s spaces in a respectful way. I hope I can find love while being true to myself. I hope that one day I won’t have to justify my existence. I hope that one day I can be truly happy being my most authentic self.

Esme, 20-year-old trans woman

I see myself as happier and more physically transitioned, potentially including surgeries, hopefully as a full-time musician. I wish I could have access to more responsive health care that doesn’t lose you in a system that takes years to access anything. I’d like to live my life in a lot of respects as I do now: just being me. I see the future for trans people as very bright with improved health care services and improved communities who love and accept everyone to the point where being trans, gay, straight, disabled, etc. is a non-issue. A world where who [you are] matters more than what you are.

Julien, 20-year-old non binary

I would love if someday, non binary people could be legally recognised in France (the country I’m living in) and in the UK. I hate how society is so binary-thinking and I hate how society relies so heavily on the gender binary. It just really sucks. I also hate the fact that we’re not legally recognised and we have to fit into the two boxes of ‘male’ and ‘female’ and I just feel really invalidated. Hoping for a change in the months/years to come.

Tanya, 29-year-old non binary

I wish for all the m/f boxes to disappear from the document forms everywhere. Honestly, I feel like McDonald’s is the only place that doesn’t make me choose between those two. Unless I wanna pee. I hope I’ll be able to live my life more authentically without pretending to be something I’m not, that I’ll be included not just in progressive social justice movements, but in daily life, business and legislative language as well. I wish I would not have to argue with my doctor about risks I run and what infections I can and cannot contract due to [the] contents of my pants, but actually get educated by them on those risks and how to lower them. I wish I could get my friends and family to navigate around heavily gendered language to understand me and not have to surrender to constant misgendering because ‘it’s just easier this way’. I wish I could adopt. I wish I could do it with my passport and adoption papers not stating ‘female’ in them. I wish to continue my effort in making fashion more inclusive and cater to my trans siblings’ needs as long as I am physically able to. I wish to live on a polyamorous boat and travel the world and not feel pressure to present a certain way every time I arrive in a new country. I wish people minded their business more often. I wish they cared more. I wish the oppressed weren’t always the ones to bear the weight of being proactive. I wish everyone understood and accepted intersectionality. I wish there were more love in the world and less [trigger warning] murder. I wish your ideas and projects would grow and more people would feel free and valid and their authentic selves through consuming them. I wish each of us made a little difference in another’s life so we can look back and see the progress we’ve made and say to ourselves that it’s a life worth living.

Anonymous, 14-year-old demiboy

I feel the future for trans people will be much better than the present. We’ve taken huge steps in rights and equality and the generations to come will have a better understanding of gender than the previous one.

Charlie, 19-year-old trans guy

I want to make an impact. You can’t do a lot with an art degree but I want to change at least some people’s perceptions of us and to help show the world that we exist and are just trying to live our lives. I hope that access to treatment will become easier, and waiting times drastically fall. I know that moving to uni before HRT [hormone replacement therapy] or chest surgery was one of the most painful decisions (but also the best) I’ve had to make and I don’t want anyone else to even consider putting their life on hold for transition. Nobody should have to wait so long for such basic needs.