Being trans is not a choice! One is born trans and so the only choice is whether to suppress the fact that one is trans and risk mental health issues that might result, or come out to family and friends and risk rejection and/or ridicule and humiliation. This does happen, though not as often as trans people fear. Jamie Wallis MP, who announced in a statement on the eve of Trans Day of Visibility that he had been diagnosed with Gender Dysphoria, had been blackmailed by someone who had discovered that he was trans.
This is the reality that too many trans people face. We hope that Jamie Wallis’s story will give others the confidence to be their real selves, but of course, his dreadful experiences may lead to some trans people trying to hide even deeper. Those of us who are fortunate enough to be able to be ourselves in our everyday lives should be visible to others and demonstrate that trans people are just ordinary people trying to live their lives in peace and harmony with everyone else.
Meanwhile, we congratulate Jamie Wallis on his decision and hope that he will work to raise awareness and understanding of the challenges and issues that trans people face amongst his colleagues in Parliament.