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A sample of texts sent by Validation StationPhoto: Provided
A new free service is sending daily text validations to transgender people who are under lockdown during the coronavirus pandemic.
Validation Station‘s creators say the service is a way to combat the isolation trans people often feel – particularly if they are sheltering-in-place with unsupportive family members.
Related: Bi trans man sends 4,000 Christmas cards to LGBTQ people disowned by their families
Trans and non-binary folks worldwide are able to sign up for the service online. The site asks for personal pronouns so they can ensure that the texts use the correct ones.
“I’ve struggled to feel valid a lot over the past few years, and working on a project like this gives me the chance to help people in the same boat feel a little better,” Kes, one of the creators, told Forbes. Kes is not identified with a last name.
“I came to realize that in my identity as a trans woman, I faced very little support and validation in my day-to-day life. But the amazing community of friends I have made online has been helping me through this massively. And I think The Validation Station helps to bridge the gap between that almost ethereal online community and the real world.”
“So much hate is aimed at our community every single day, and we spend so much of our energy as a community having to fend that off, defend ourselves from it, and keep ourselves safe,” Kes added.
While the creators paid the overhead cost to start the service themselves, the telecom company Vonage has started sponsoring the project to help it continue.
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