Much more than an ordinary date, the 29th of January, on which the National Day of Trans Visibility is celebrated, is a milestone in the history of Brazil. “It is an extremely important day as it reminds me that I am a survivor of transphobia. I already suffered torture when I was younger… this date is necessary as a warning so that this type of lack of humanity does not happen to anyone anymore ”, says influencer Suellen Carey.
Ensuring social protection for transsexuals and transvestites is a major challenge for social assistance networks, since the rights of members of the LGBTQIAP+ community have historically been denied. Despite important achievements in the area of trans rights in recent years, there are daily reports of increasing levels of violence and discrimination, which constantly put segments of the population at risk.
For most of these people, this whole scenario also increases socioeconomic vulnerability and family and community conflicts. Transgender and transvestite people face difficulties enrolling and attending school, leading to high dropout rates, preparation for the world of work, professional qualification, insertion in the labor market, access to health, among others.
Suellen Carey is a transvestite and produces content for social networks, in this way, she manages to give voice to a class of people, who are often unable to impose themselves, due to society’s prejudices. “It is very important that people like me are able to impose their opinions in a public way, that they are able to take a message from the community to the world”, she said.
For Suellen Carey, people can say ‘trans woman’ or ‘travesti’, as both forms are correct, however, the term ‘transvestite’ is preferred by most. “There is no difference, each one chooses how they like to be treated. I like to call myself a transvestite, so I can break the prejudice around this term”, concluded the influencer.