March 31 is International Transgender Day of Visibility (TDOV), a holiday the trans community uses to celebrate being seen. The day is marked with events in places around the world as trans and gender non-conforming (GNC) people come together to celebrate being trans and what it means to be seen.

The issue of transgender visibility is complex and in a state of massive evolution. Despite historical examples of gender rebels, experiences outside of a cisgender binary have often been erased — sometimes intentionally. Despite this history, the last several decades have seen major gains in trans visibility as the Internet and social media have created more ways for trans people to connect, share their stories, and be visible.

I’m a 27-year-old transgender woman, and media played a big role in my ability to come out. It was a combination of four trans women who helped me. Magazine profiles and cover stories featuring Against Me! lead singer Laura Jane Grace, Orange Is the New Black star Laverne Cox, and former Olympian Caitlyn Jenner helped me see myself. The first friend I ever saw transition was Patti Harrison, who I met in college and who came out after we graduated on her way to taking the comedy world by storm.

Considering my own gender, I secretively joined online spaces that gave me a chance to express myself without worrying about outing myself. The power I found in connecting with other trans people gave me courage, provided me with advice, and directed me to resources I had no idea existed. I’ve been out for over three years now.

But my story is just one of so many. So I talked to 38 people with all sorts of trans and GNC identities, ranging in age from 15 to 58. I asked them what visibility means to them, what influenced their process, if there was a specific turning point they remember, and whether technology played a role in their coming out or transition. Here’s what they said.

Gia Parr | 15 | she/her/hers

Watching YouTube and seeing people such as Gigi Gorgeous and Jazz Jennings on a constant basis for months made me realize that all these feelings I’ve had during my life matched the description of the people I was watching. I officially came out at 13.

I could do a lot of research on the transition process because of technology. Even though technology helped me greatly, it also scared me. I realized with the support from people who knew me before I officially came out, this would be the right decision. When I did come out, I received a great amount of support from my town, school, and friends.

Landon | 16 | he/him/his

Choosing to be visible for many trans people is a privilege that we cannot ignore, and I hope that trans visibility helps to secure a tomorrow where visibility won’t be something revolutionary, where visibility will be safe for our trans siblings of color, where visibility will not cost us our jobs, our families, or our lives.

I remember attending a music summer camp before the seventh grade. On the final day, another attendee asked me whether or not I was transgender. I sat with this person and their friend (who told me they were both trans guys), and they showed me a trans man’s transition timeline video on YouTube. Had it not been for technology, I may not have come out.

Tru Wilson | 16 | she/her/hers

Visibility to me means that I am seen as more than just my label.