Trans+ Tax

Have you ever considered the extra cost, financially and mentally, placed on trans+ people? 

I call it Trans+ Tax. 

I came to the realisation that there is an additional tax on my existence recently, when working out logistics for a day in London. As a trans person, I have a continuous battle with facial hair, and its relationship with my makeup. I like to do my face as late as possible, so that it lasts longer, so I encounter fewer issues with my appearance. Which means if I have a 9 am train, I will either do my makeup on the train, or when I get to London, I am no stranger to a Pret table face!

This means that I am always carrying a HUGE bag with me, which weighs me down. If you have ever seen me in London, I will always have my ever-useful green Lazy Oaf carry-all. Recently, I decided that I wanted to be rid of the big bag, but still do my makeup late. So after a quick Google, I found options, and £6.89 later, I was able to leave my bag for the day at a hotel, and no longer be burdened by the 15 kg-ish bag. 

Whilst £6.89 is not a huge sum of money, and the peace of mind that being able to leave my bag has brought makes that price worth it, this is a form of Trans+ Tax. Tax in the sense that because I am trans+ and how I approach the world, it has cost me more for a simple day. 

Don’t get me wrong - there are many taxes that marginalised people face - but this is just an extra cost that 99-99.9% of the population simply never have to think about. 

Which can be seen in other areas of life;

The Trans+ Tax of having to cut ties with friends and family, leading to less support when we need it.

The Trans+ Tax of emotional labour when it comes to picking a toilet to use. 

The Trans+ Tax of having to no longer engage with books, music, films, and other media because the artist or creator is transphobic.

The Trans+ Tax of having to educate most new people you meet in order to have the basic human decency of not being misgendered. 

The Trans+ Tax of having to consider how you dress and present when travelling with forms of ID that don’t match your gender identity, especially trans+ non-binary folks. 

The Trans+ Tax of not feeling comfortable shopping for clothes in stores, and having to pay delivery charges, return costs, and possibly buying multiple sizes.

The Trans+ Tax of being hyper vigilant on public transport due to safety concerns. 

The Trans+ Tax on our mental health living through one of the more hostile times trans+ people have faced in the last twenty years. 

On their own, none of these things has a debilitating impact, but together they compound their effects, and also interact with other factors of marginalisation. I don’t have a solution to solve this, as most of the issues are systemic or bigger than one person. However, if you have never considered the implications of being othered by society, now you have. 

I hope you will combine this new knowledge with allyship, and when you can, try to make life easier for the trans+ people in your life.