For me and me only, stealth is about being a woman first and trans second. I don’t need to announce to everyone I meet that I’m trans (they can mostly figure that out on their own). I don’t need to bring it up in every conversation, and I don’t inform every customer that they were just served by a trans.

If and only if I feel safe enough to talk to people about my history, and if and only if they ask, will I begin the conversation. If that is trans-phobic, then I am sorry. I don’t think so.  That doesn’t mean that I hide in the woodwork, I don’t. I do my bit for our common causes. I donate to trans educational organizations, and I lobby for the American Equality Bill.

There was a time (way back in Texas) that you needed to identify yourself as gender-variant. Either with a button or at least one piece of “assigned at birth” clothing. To me, that was the same as the pink triangle of the concentration camps.

I mention all of that to say, If you want to be out and about wearing a trans button to show that you are serious about being a trans, fine. I don’t need to. My life that I live is my button. To me (and only me), living an authentic life is the best activism.