Trans Day of Visibility

Hello everyone. Sadly, due to personal and work obligations, I was unable to post last week. Even though the topic, Trans Day of Visibility, has passed, I would still like to spend this week talking about it for two reasons. 1) Trans people are under attack, so the more trans visibility there is, the more trans children get to see role models in their community 2) We don’t focus enough on trans, especially queer, joy. There is so much to love about queerness and so many amazing trans people living life, and that should be celebrated.

This week, I want to talk about International Trans Day of Visibility, observed on March 31st every year. I want to talk a bit about why this date is important and what it means. Started by Rachel Crandall-Crocker, Transgender Day of Visibility was created to focus on transgender joy. Since then, it has grown exponentially This year, the White House made a proclamation about Transgender Day of Visibility! What can you do to celebrate this day, not just March 31st but all days:

1. Celebrate local trans history! It’s great to talk about amazing trans people from history, such as Lili Elbe or Sylvia Rivera, but what about your local transgender community. How has it grown over the years? How have they helped not just the transgender community but your local community as a whole?

2. Celebrate local transgender trailblazers this and every day. Don’t just bring out transgender people to your organization once or twice a year, but ask how you can integrate transgender support and information year round.

3. Support transgender businesses, especially local businesses. Have art by transgender artists in your halls and in your building. And if you work with kids, bring in transgender professionals to talk about their life and their work.

4. Speak out against the anti-transgender legislation in your state. Even if you live in a state where it won’t pass, let people know what is happening both locally and federally.

5. Become familiar with what gender identity and expression means in different cultures. The transgender and nonbinary experience is diverse and it is important to understand gender identity and expression within the communities you support.

6. Follow trans content creators. Some of my favorites are Chris Mosier, Fallon Fox, Patricio Manuel, Lavern Cox, Jinkx Monsoon, Sasha Colby, ALOK, AC Goldberg, Abby Stein, and Rabbi Jericho Vincent.

Supporting transgender people and communities is an every day thing. But that should include not just attacks on the transgender community but also queer joy and triumphs. Show people that being queer is not just about fighting for rights, but also being the real you in a beautiful and positive way.