In conversation with .. 5!

How important is Pride for the trans* community?
It was black and brown trans* women fighting for our rights at Stonewall
Riot which is now known as Pride - there would be no Pride without trans*
people.
The umbrella term of LGBTQIA+ is very controversial and there’s a lot of
discrimination and transphobia amongst the so-called community. We
trans*/non-binary people constantly have to validate ourselves to be seen,
but not to be seen too much, we try to pass but still be visible, we want to
express ourselves but be safe on the streets or public transport, we have
to fight about pronouns and names with families and even queer friends.
We’re scared to be outed or harmed, or even killed. We try to prove we’re
trans* enough to be part of the community even though some people won’t
or can’t do medical/physical transition. Non-binary people experience
discrimination/misgendering/transphobia from other trans people, and
there are only a few spaces to be seen and to actually feel and be safe. We
have to come out to families, friends, doctors, bosses, strangers, it’s a long,
humiliating and for many of us a never-ending journey. In some countries,
we’re getting erased from the system, we´re held apart from medical care,
we have to discuss and fight and die just to have the right to live.
And we cannot even fully rely on the support of people within the
LGBTQIA+ community since there’s lots of highly under-educated and
transphobic cis people who just don’t care.
Pride and the support from cis people
is very important, and not only when its
Pride, but always.
Do you think the fashion world is open
enough for trans designers?
I wish. It’s not just about the designers but
the whole system of how the fashion world
works. I wish that the fashion world was
open, but transphobia, sexism, ableism,
racism and patriarchy is everywhere and
there are trans people (mostly (Black/PoC)
trans* women) getting murdered simply
for the fact that they’re trans.
So how can the fashion world be open if
the world is full of hate and disgust for us?
In commercial fashion the cis, white,
skinny, able-bodied, young model is the
default. Trans*models are ok, if they
look cis. I don’t even know where to start
because people’s perception on what
beauty is, even on what diversity is and
looks like is shocking.
It’s a huge industry based on
heteronormative, eurocentric beauty
standards, based on the exploitation of
people and resources worldwide.
It’s not only about trans designers.
It’s about the people in high positions,
decision-makers, managers, stylists,
photographers, hair- and make-up artists,
editors, model agents, models, retailers,
and so on. Trans people are people and
we are fucking everywhere but many of us
don’t even get the chance to get into these
positions because the system or society
doesn’t let us access these spaces in a
meaningful way.
As a male passing, German (& German
citizenship), white, young, able-bodied
person with access to health care, healthy
food and a great social network of
supportive friends and (chosen) family I
am super privileged and one of the only
trans* designers I know. (Maybe the others
are too shy and didn’t come out to me?) So
how can the fashion world be accessible for
someone with less privilege?
Trans* designers are rare in the fashion
world. What can we change in the system
that Trans* designers are getting more
support?
Before medical and physical transitioning
and my official name and gender marker
change, I was too insecure, dysphoric
and scared to be visible with my work
and to put myself out there because of
the constant fear of getting misgendered,
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