Artist Spotlight: Alli McKee, Trans Day of Visibility 2026

What does Trans Day of Visibility Mean To You?

To me Trans Day of Visibility is about being visible and vocal for those in the community who can’t be, and for my younger self who never expected to get to a point where he could be loudly and proudly trans. Now more than ever I think that it is an important day for showing the world that, despite the hardships our community faces, queer and trans joy exists in multitudes.

Tell us about the piece you’ve created for Trans Day of Visibility

With this piece I wanted to convey the idea of joy, colour and resilience breaking through the darkness and hardships that trans+ people face on a daily basis. As well as representing the pink, blue and white trans pride flag, I chose to include yellow and purple within my colour palette to represent intersex and non-binary identities within the trans community as I feel that these folks are often left out of conversations surrounding trans issues despite being a very important part.

What do you hope LGBTQ+ young people will take from this piece?

I hope that this piece gives young LGBTQ+ folks a little bit of hope for the future – speaking as someone who was once a terrified closeted trans kid, I hope that anyone who is in any way scared for their future can take this as a sign that they belong, they matter and brighter days will come.

Do you think art can bring communities together?

I know it can! Whether it’s exhibitions, art markets, protests, workshops, etc – being a part of the queer artist/small business community in Ireland I have seen the power that art has to unite people and the ways that it has helped many in our community to find their voice (myself included!)

How do you use your art to share positive messages of hope?

I create lots of designs featuring positive and empowering slogans which I share online and sell in the form of affordable badges, stickers, art prints, t-shirts and more! I also use my art and my platform to share my own experiences as a neurodivergent queer trans man in the hopes that this might help others in the community to feel seen, and that it might inspire hope that people like us can and do thrive in spite of it all.

Where can we find your art online?

You can check out my work on Instagram/TikTok @inrainbowsirl, and if you would like to own any of my designs you can find my web store at www.inrainbowsirl.com!