03/31/2022
It's TRANS DAY OF VISIBILITY!
A lot has changed in 4.5 years, but one thing sure hasn't... I'm way more comfortable behind the lens than I am in front of it 😂
I've sat here for days pondering what to post today... I still have no real clue, so I'll go with it...
When I first came out, & really up until last year, I didn't want to be visible. I wanted to just blend in & go unnoticed. To be "normal", to not stand out... but looking back, that's never truly been me.
If I was meant to blend in then doing so wouldn't have been so challenging... impossible, actually.
A lot of gender non-conforming folks feel they were born in the wrong body, & I held that feeling for many, many years. There's absolutely nothing wrong with feeling that way if you do...
When I finally accepted birth work as my calling & let go of my preconceived notions of what makes a man "a man" I was free to just be Liam.
To be the vulnerable, caring, compassionate, creative, complex, deeply feeling human I kept trying to hide all these years...
I also realized I wouldn't be who I am today. I wouldn't have been raised the same, wouldn't have the same feelings & life views/experiences, & likely wouldn't hold the same interests I do now.
While I recognize there are MANY areas where change is so desperately needed- my focus is in birth work, family planning & parenting.
To work towards inclusivity & improved birth experiences + outcomes. To foster & help create brave spaces. To educate. To spread the love... & so much more.
I felt so unwelcome in the birth community & birth spaces that it took me years to find the courage to come back once I started transitioning... I don't want anyone else to feel that way. If birth work is your calling, GO FOR IT!
Honestly, it's been difficult being the only male presenting person in the trainings I've been doing, but I have the opportunity to make some waves & get the gears of change moving.