We’ve been here forever, but our stories are never told.

Forced into roles we aren’t fit to play,

Rather than live our lives freely,

Just so that we can live to see tomorrow.

Our only sign of a past,

Is tragedies that linger in the air.

Tales of murder are our only sign,

Of people like us before you or I.

Why is our history drenched in blood,

Why is our present too.

With 37 killed last year for being who we were,

Will our future be as well.

We're a criminal in some lands,

A sickness in so many others.

Even here is the “greatest country of the world”,

Only 16 states will take action against those that hurt us.

We’ve been here since the beginning,

And we'll be here later.

But why does it still feel like tomorrow,

The only sign of a time when we existed will be a gravestone.

We’re pushing for a brighter future,

Some of us are now welcomed with open arms.

But you have to meet criteria,

That not all of us can or want to.

It feels for every two steps forward, 

We’re forced to take one step back.

Like we are stuck in a never-ending dance for power,

And our partner takes joy in making us stumble.

People are learning slowly,

To ask and not assume.

But it still doesn’t feel fast enough,

And others still continue to hurt us.

But we’ll fight against the system,

And I encourage you too as well.

Don’t let your gender determine your presentation, your life, your hobbies,

Don’t let your gender determine you.

Don’t be afraid to explore,

And come back knowing you’re cis or trans.

Don’t be afraid to ask others who they are,

But please don’t phrase it “girl or boy?”

Because we’ve become so much more than that,

We’ve been so much more than that.

It’s not our identity it’s who we are,

And it’s not a privilege, it’s our pronouns.

So all I ask of you,

For now that is at least.

Is to believe them when we tell you who we are,

And fight alongside us when they ask and need your help.

Because we know the system won’t listen to them,

We’ve seen it time and time again.

But if you help lift up our voices,

Maybe we can finally take the lead in this dance for power.