"I can’t take the night Tube and I still jump at the sound of loud men," says 28-year-old Tom, a non-binary drag performer and frequent writer for Refinery29 UK. "I sometimes wait for three Tubes to pass to avoid people who I see as a threat. Every step on the street is calculated and assessed – I have never known what it’s like to walk the world freely. That’s the same for so many of us."

Tom estimates that they spend between £150-£200 a month on Ubers and other taxis. What for some may be seen as an extravagance or perhaps a regular part of their (expensive) commute, is a lifesaving necessity for Tom and other LGBTQ+ people. This is because paying for private rides is the only way to ensure they get from A to B safely without, as Tom tells me, being "filmed/photographed/laughed at/screamed at/chanted at/physically avoided/physically threatened" for being visibly queer.

This is one of the many hidden costs of queerness – where the threat of harassment, bigotry and even violence forces LGBTQ+ people to spend more in order to protect themselves, or medicate themselves, or limits their access to the financial security more easily available to their straight counterparts.

For Samir, a 25-year-old femme-presenting queer person, it’s a matter of choosing between safety and presenting in the way they want to. "I feel like in order for me to be safe, I have to not be visible. I went through a struggle of trying to tell myself that I'm not going to hide but then it comes at a price. That cost is your safety. That's why safe spaces such as Pxssy Palace and other parties are really important for us." Pxssy Palace not only provides a safe space for people to be themselves but also has a taxi fund to help trans people of colour get home safely. It does, however, have limited funding.

Samir and Tom acknowledge the privilege they have, both in being able to modify how they present without experiencing mental distress, and in being able to afford private transport. Read more via Refinery29