For the transgender community, visibility is a double-edged sword. Prior to transition, living "stealth" (passing as one’s true gender without public knowledge of trans history) can provide safety and peace. However, for many, the goal is not to disappear into cisgender society, but to be seen and celebrated as trans . This creates a unique cultural aesthetic.
“I will not sit back and allow the T to be taken out of the LGBT coalition. We have been there from the beginning.” — , Stonewall veteran and trans activist young lesbian shemale