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Guest Commentary: Despite Malta’s Progressive Laws, Life As A Transgender Is Still Full Of Obstacles

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Today we celebrate Transgender Day of Visibility which honours transgender people and the courage it takes to live openly and authentically, while also raising awareness about the discrimination transgender people still face. Whilst acknowledging that the local transgender community is legally protected and recognised by the most progressive gender laws in the world, the lived experience of a transgender person is still full of obstacles that are solely related to the basic fact of living one’s own truth.

I still struggle to accept the fact that despite these laws, access to information and awareness, transgender individuals are still constantly mis-gendered through the use of incorrect pronouns, referred to in their birth name and deemed less than cis-gender individuals.

Karly1

It is due to these facts that I use my platform to continually raise awareness and engage in meaningful dialogue to break stereotypical myths about transgender people. As an out and visible transgender woman every day is Transgender Day of Visibility for me.

While I am not defined by the fact that I am a transgender woman: my transness and womanhood are social, political and historic realities. So while my identity is composed of multiple facets, the reality of my identity as a transgender woman, continues to affect how people like me and I move through the world and access space and resources.

I have experienced people telling me that I don’t look trans and that I am beautiful despite being trans as though these assertions were a compliment.

Men who have dated me were labelled as gay because I am still viewed as a man in a dress. Men who publically shunned me, have later came to initiate private conversations, as if I were an exotic object of their desire. All this translates to one damming truth that is that a substantial part of society still thinks that transgender women are not women.

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Being transgender is not a choice but a reality; I did not want to be born in a body which did not match my gender identity. For a long time I struggled with accepting my reality and at the start of my transition, my idea of gender was very performative.

The more feminine I looked the more validated I felt and as a result I gave in to the role assigned to me by society. As I have grown, I learnt to embrace the different elements of my identity and live my own truth. Whilst acknowledging the fact that being visible is a double edged sword, I am blessed to have a loving family and a good support system who give me the strength needed to continue being visible for those who cannot be.

Karly Naudi is a Maltese transgender activist and model

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Tim is interested in the rapid evolution of human society and is passionate about justice, human rights and cutting-edge political debates. You can follow him on Instagram or Twitter/X at @timdiacono or reach out to him at [email protected]

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