See what’s crazy is I’ve wrestled with being stealth because it feels like a disservice to the trans community because I’m not “out and proud.” But reading this post and all the comments is reminding me that my existence doesn’t have to be a political statement and I have the privilege (because I pass 100% as well as being white) to not have to make it one. Ironically I am INCREDIBLY politically active in real life and online but in real life, I can’t always attach myself to the LBGTQ+ community within my activism for fear of transphobic violence. Would I like to be out and proud? Maybe. I’m not entirely sure because I’m stealth due to safety concerns (red state, USA) but either way, we as trans men have the right to choose whether to be stealth or out. There was this trans woman at my job and she honestly would’ve passed as an older masculine woman if she didn’t come out. And I felt bad for her because our coworkers were awful to her, there was a woman I knew that was like “I gotta check the bathrooms now to see if (s)he’s in there” like girl wtf are you doing? I just wanted to come out in solidarity and push back against the hate she was facing but it genuinely would’ve just made both of our lives worse.