Trans Day of Visibility is observed annually on March 31 to celebrate trans people around the globe and raise awareness about trans lives. But at a moment when the world is under an unprecedented, near-universal quarantine, the concept of visibility takes on new meaning. How do we create visibility when most of us are locked up in our homes and trying our best to stay physically isolated from one another?

My team and I here at Bi.org decided that the best way for us to commemorate Trans Day of Visibility this year would be to check in with friends from our community and let them tell us about their lives under COVID-19 isolation. But let's be honest. We all could a little more to smile about these days. So we also asked them for quarantine selfies and pictures of their furry companions.

I hope you enjoy hearing from our friends who happen to be both bi and trans.

Happy Trans Day of Visibility!

Mx. Nicky Endres

Nicky told us about her quarantine selfie: went for a walk in the park while observing a 6-ft personal bubble. In these surreal circumstances, one thing that keeps the attention of my gratitude is how beautiful California is. Look at this spring! Purple mountains majesty and shit y'all! Even my eyebrows were doing their best to show up today!

Go follow Nicky on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook

What do you do when we aren’t all locked in our homes?

I actually love being locked in my home! I'm a natural introvert. But I usually don't have to compete with the entire city for a bag of rice at the grocery store, which I only visit every other week even prior to Coronapocalypse!

How have you been spending your quarantine?

Alternating between being a useless puddle of anxiety and carrying on as an artist, inspired even more to make a painting, or a write a joke, or pretend to start on that book I'm always pretending to be serious about writing.

What have you been bingeing?

Westworld. My sister put it succinctly: "I'm only watching stuff where the fictional world is more fucked up than the real world right now."

Anything you’d like to add?

Hang in there. Allow yourself to fall apart, but make room for the beautiful ways you put yourself back together, too. There's no one way to cope with the changing of the entire world. Have faith in yourself. You'll make it. You'll be okay.

Verity Ritchie

Follow Verity on Youtube 

What do you do when we aren’t all locked in our homes?

I'm a queer activist, graphic designer, and writer. I also dabble with the Youtubeses. I help run bi meetups and workshops as well as host a trans-meet-up program via Društvo Kvartir, an organization that focuses on trans and bisexual community and activism in Ljubljana.

How have you been spending your quarantine?

My life hasn't been too different, as most of the content we provide can be moved online. I usually host fortnightly trans meetups, which I'm currently replacing with a podcast. Društvo Kvartir is trying to keep putting out content, such as podcasts and digital zines, to help the community feel connected. We're still here, everyone!

What have you been bingeing?

I've been bingeing Star Trek: The Next Generation. There's an episode called "The Offspring" where a robot child is given the opportunity to choose their own gender. It's nice to envision that kind of future.

Anything you’d like to add?

Thank goodness for the internet. Our community solidarity really seems strong enough to endure all this.

Paz

Follow Paz on Instagram

What do you do when we aren’t all locked in our homes?

Show my art at art fairs and galleries.

How have you been spending your quarantine?

Painting and checking on everyone I know, hoping they keep safe and healthy.

What have you been bingeing?

News

Anything you’d like to add?

Why do you need this trans day of visibility? Are you implying that I am invisible the rest of the days? I think this is the best time to end special days and months for minority and majority groups. It's time to stop emphasizing our differences and start emphasizing our common humanity as we all fight this disease together.

Isabel Omero

Follow Isabel on Facebook or her website

What do you do when we aren’t all locked in our homes?

I produce, write, and host live music/dance/art/media/charity events for general audiences. I explore my planet, my city, and my neighborhood whenever I can. But the past 12 months have been devoted primarily to my gender transition.

How have you been spending your quarantine?

Connecting with as many people as possible by any media necessary. Supporting my neighborhood and its wonderful small businesses through gift cards, delivery, and takeout. Letting go of possessions. Deep-diving into years of old creative notebooks to see what still resonates and what I might have missed. Writing down my favorite stories from my personal life and a long career in television sitcoms.

What have you been bingeing?

The New Pope, Dispatches From Elsewhere, Watchmen (again), Star Trek: Picard, Black Lightning, reruns of the cult classic Newsradio

Anything you’d like to add?

I hope you won’t mind if I mention I’ve been booked to speak at the first-ever Burbank Pride celebration scheduled (at the moment) for June 6.

For now, I hope our forced distance will make us crave intimacy and authenticity. We're going to accept more Lo-Fi tech — if who we're watching or listening to or speaking with is sincere. We're going to use our indoor voices like we haven't in years. And I think we might find ourselves genuinely connecting with each other when we don't expect to, maybe even when we don't want to or mean to. I hope the very strange days to come make these positives possible.

Cadyn Cathers

Follow Affirmative Couch on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn

What do you do when we aren’t all locked in our homes?

For work: I'm the executive director of The Affirmative Couch, where we provide continuing education for psychotherapists about working with LGBTQIA+ and consensually non-monogamous clients. I'm the interim co-director of the LGBT specialization in the MA psychology program at Antioch University Los Angeles, where I teach classes on working with the LGBTQIA+ community. I'm a psychological assistant in private practice under supervision of Kenneth Scott, PsyD where I provide psychodynamic psychotherapy for LGBTQIA+, consensually non-monogamous, kinky and other clients.

For fun: I enjoy hiking, board games, hanging out with friends, cuddling with my cat, reading, and cooking. I'm a big fan of Star Wars, Harry Potter, Buffy, and The Simpsons.

How have you been spending your quarantine?

For the first part of the quarantine, I was actually sick with I think was a bad cold. So I was just doing my normal sick routine; lots of sleep, trying to stay hydrated, and half-awake watching some shows. But mostly resting since I didn't have a lot of energy.

Now that I'm better, I'm doing my normal routine minus the commute. The Affirmative Couch is a remote company, so my job there hasn't changed at all. We are currently on break at the university, so I'm just planning classes and grading papers as I normally do in March. What has changed is that I'm no longer seeing patients in person, but have moved to telehealth in order to continue seeing patients without risking anyone's health. I'm no longer doing my regular self-care routines outside the home (chiropractor, gym, outdoor hiking, physical therapy). Without LA traffic and some of these, I have more time to rest, hang out online with friends/family, snuggle my cat, and enjoy quality time with my fiance.

Our cat Diego was diagnosed with a melanoma in his eye last month. So he had his staples removed earlier this month and now we call him "Mad-Eye Diego". We have been trying to give him extra love and attention to help him adjust. He is doing great. I think quarantine has been extra enjoyable for him.

What have you been bingeing?

My friends have been trying to get me to watch Star Trek for years. I'm finally getting around to it! So right now, I'm on Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Whenever I get overwhelmed with everything going on, I enjoy watching Kitten Rescuers. Super cheesy British show about saving felines. It is just feel-good television
That's all, folks. Please let us know how you are spending your quarantines.