We are known by many names

Although I may have have started my transition seven years ago, I have always been and will always be a woman. 

My name is Jocelyn Olivia Nixon. I’m a singer/songwriter I have a band called The Creepy Jingles and my pronouns are she/her. I am a proud transwoman and all those years ago I made a choice to no longer let my fear control me. I embraced all of myself and since my transition, I’ve developed stronger relationships and have been more successful in my career. My life shifted; I like who I am and I’ll be damned if I allow anyone to tell me who I am and try and put me back in a box that I’m too big to fit in.

They call us names. 

But we are known by many names. 

We show people the best of themselves. We show them the worst of themselves. Being transgender is living through many days consumed by the cognitive dissonance of what we saw in the mirror conflicting with our inner world—then liberating ourselves by being true to our hearts, minds, and souls. By taking ownership and autonomy for our bodies we have transcended boundaries and have now become those mirrors reflecting back on others and how they feel about themselves. 

We are resilient.

We are strong 

We are beautiful.

We are warriors.

We know what it feels like to keep getting knocked down but we also have that fire to dig deep and get up every single time better and stronger than before. All this pressure has us forged us into diamonds and it’s quite easy to allow our hearts to become as hardened in the face of those who hate us. Despite all of that we remain firm in our position to be authentic against all the opposition, oppression, misunderstanding, struggle and adversity.

I know things are scary and stressful right now but I want to remind everyone that anything that is worth having is worth fighting for.

We are not just fighting for ourselves. We have a job to fight for everyone that will come after us. It’s our generation’s responsibility to cut down the tall grass and make a safe and visible path for those kids to see. Thir generation can be spared of what we're enduring—and we endure so we can be free. Free to be who they are, free to love who they want openly and freely without persecution, free to not always fear for their freedom every election.

Trans kids should be able to play sports. They should get to have a childhood, free of the discrimination that forces them to grow up so fast. These children should not have to endure so much stress and negativity. All of us deserve a world where we don’t have to prove the validity of our identities. Our personal experiences should not be used against us as a weapon. 

I love all of you for being brave enough to love yourself. However, we have more work to do. No one can be complacent anymore—we don’t have the luxury.

Get involved in the community. Volunteer, phone bank, and continue to have those conversations with the people you think will never understand. Because you might be the difference in changing just one perspective. And even one perspective is one more person fighting alongside us for change. We must be better than our oppressors. We must lead by example to show what true humanity looks like. 

We have always been here.

And we exist whether they like it or not.

Despite the hardships we're facing, do not let your heart grow heavy. 

Live in joy to spite them. Be yourself to spite them. Succeed in spite of them.

Our most powerful resource is our voice. Use it. 

Sing. Dance. Make some art.

Let’s alchemize and transmute all this noise around us into gold.