A transgender activist has ‘bared the bulge’ in solidarity with another trans woman after she witnessed a group of commuters harassing her because of her ‘untucked’ penis underneath her skirt.
Customer services assistant Imogen Loxley, 27, had been running errands on Tuesday, April 30, when she saw a teenage trans girl being harassed for wearing a skirt with a ‘visible bulge’. After making sure the girl got her bus safely, Imogen went home and knew she couldn’t let the issue slide.
The following day, she took matters into her own hands and posted an image online to show that trans women are ‘beautiful’ and ‘valid’ women.
Imogen, from Sydney, Australia, said:
If the girl sees my photo, I’d like to tell her she is beautiful, she is valid as a woman. She doesn’t need to prove or try to impress anybody else, especially strangers. If she feels comfortable and happy with who she is, that’s all the matters.
I decided to post a photo with my complete bulge showing to say ‘yes, you see me. I may look like a pretty woman but look, I also have just what this girl has’.
Imogen added:
I’m still trans, I was born male and I transitioned to female. I know that a lot of people, friends and family, see me as a woman because I look passable.
I did notice she was trans, which doesn’t make her any less of a woman because she may not be as passable. I did drag so I was taught how to tuck, there were little pieces with makeup I knew. She may have just started her transition.
We’re both trans, we’re both still women. Everyone is different.
The incident reportedly happened in the centre of Sydney. Imogen spotted a group of men and women harassing the woman verbally and ‘gawking at her like an animal’.
After arriving home and realising she had been in the position of the girl when she first started to transition, Imogen decided the only way to show solidarity was by posting her support online.
Imogen wrote on social media:
I just witnessed a trans girl being publicly shamed for having a visible bulge, so I’m going to publicly post a photo of me with my visible bulge just to prove a fucking point.
Tucked or untucked – still a woman.
Imogen was unsure whether to post the photo at first, but decided she had to share it ‘for the bigger picture’. She has since received thousands of supportive and positive comments in response.
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues, and want to speak to someone in confidence contact Mindline Trans+ on 0300 330 5468. The line is open Mondays and Fridays, 8 pm to midnight and is run by trans volunteers.
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Ed Watkinson is a content strategist and editor at UNILAD. Having worked for several large media agencies for over 10 years, he joined LADbible Group in 2017 and has been overseeing organic content performance since then.