International Transgender Day of Visibility

Last updated

Transgender Day of Visibility
Trans Day of Visibility SF 2016.jpg
Presenters on stage at the 2016 Trans Day of Visibility celebration in San Francisco
Observed by Transgender community and supporters
Type
  • International
  • Cultural
Date March 31
FrequencyAnnual
First time2009;15 years ago (2009)
Related to Transgender Awareness Week, Transgender Day of Remembrance
2019 Dia de la Visibilidad Trans, Cartagena, Colombia Dia de la visibilidad Trans 10.png
2019 Dia de la Visibilidad Trans, Cartagena, Colombia

International Transgender Day of Visibility (often referred to as TDOV or Trans Day of Visibility) is an annual event occurring every March 31 since 2009 [1] [2] dedicated to celebrating transgender people and raising awareness of discrimination faced by transgender people worldwide, as well as a celebration of their contributions to society. The first International Transgender Day of Visibility was held on March 31, 2009. It has since been spearheaded by the U.S.-based youth advocacy organization Trans Student Educational Resources. [3]

Contents

History and milestones

2009 founding

The event was created by transgender activist [4] Rachel Crandall Crocker of Michigan in 2009 [5] as a reaction to the lack of LGBTQ+ recognition of transgender people, citing the frustration that the only well-known transgender-centered day was the Transgender Day of Remembrance, which mourned the murders of transgender people, but did not acknowledge and celebrate living members of the transgender community. President Barack Obama and Vice President Biden first acknowledged this day for the transgender community; however, at that time no proclamation was signed.[ citation needed ]

2014

In 2014, the day was observed by activists across the world, including in Ireland [6] and Scotland. [7]

2015

In 2015, many transgender individuals participated in an online social media campaign on websites including Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram. Participants posted selfies, personal stories, and statistics regarding transgender issues and other related content to raise awareness and increase visibility. [8]

2021

In 2021, U.S. President Joe Biden proclaimed March 31 as a Transgender Day of Visibility, stating in part, "I call upon all Americans to join in the fight for full equality for all transgender people." Biden was the first American president to issue a formal presidential proclamation recognizing the event. [9] [10] [11] Biden issued a similar proclamation a year later, welcoming Jeopardy! contestant and transgender woman Amy Schneider to the White House and announcing a set of measures intended to support transgender rights. [12] [13]

2024

2024 marked the 15th anniversary of Transgender Day of Visibility with celebrations planned across the globe. [14] [15] [16]

Reception

Over the years, Transgender Day of Visibility has had proponents and critics.

Supporters of TDOV have organized a variety of responsive events. In 2024, for instance, AP reported on marches in Melbourne and Philadelphia, an "inclusive roller derby" on Long Island, and a picnic in a small English town. Some places have been lit up with trans flag colors, such as Niagara Falls. [17]

To advocates of TDOV, visibility enables trans people to experience less social isolation, it "illuminates and normalizes them to the rest of the world" and it builds empathy from the cisgender majority. [18] The day is seen as a way to honor elders to trans communities, according to Shelby Chestnut of the Transgender Law Center, and "visibility means having the power and the ease to show up as all of who you are at any given moment," per Tourmaline. [19]

Similarly, a trans activist originally from Belize told UNAIDS, "Visibility is power. Only when given visibility can we raise our voices and advocate for the enjoyment of our human rights." A trans interviewee from Thailand argued that TDOV could educate the public about the needs, including health care and employment. [20]

It is important to show trans people flourishing, asserted Minneapolis city councilor Andrea Jenkins, during a period of violence against those with trans identities. [21]

Effort to increase trans visibility have been criticized by Black abolitionists, who believe facile inclusion of trans persons in popular culture "leads to flattened understandings of Black trans life" and may endanger Black trans people. As abolitionist Miss Major Griffin-Gracy stated in 2019, "I don't really understand why we need a day of visibility, when for most of us, especially us Black girls, we are as visible as we need to be. Our visibility is getting us killed." [22] Likewise, trans South Asian collaborative DarkMatter expressed concern in 2015 that Black, indigenous, and other people of color lack the resources to safely be visible, so "instead of valorizing one type of trans visibility, let's challenge the standards of visibility themselves..." [23] [ improper synthesis? ]

Similarly, some scholars argue that over-exposure of trans people can result in erasure, by virtue of perpetuating stereotypes or reducing people to statistical measures. [22] Besides the paradox of visibility as a physical risk, others question whether TDOV is offering a "sanitized image of transgender people" that reinstantiates socioeconomic and racial exclusions. [24]

In 2024, TDOV coincided with the Christian holiday of Easter that year. U.S. President Biden's support of TDOV was condemned by some Christian Republicans, which caused a brief political "controversy, which has galvanized conservatives and which transgender advocates say is manufactured." [25] [26] [27]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Juneteenth</span> US holiday commemorating the emancipation of enslaved people

Juneteenth, officially Juneteenth National Independence Day, is a federal holiday in the United States. It is celebrated annually on June 19 to commemorate the ending of slavery. The holiday's name is a portmanteau of the words "June" and "nineteenth", as it was on June 19, 1865, when Major General Gordon Granger ordered the final enforcement of the Emancipation Proclamation in Texas at the end of the American Civil War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">World AIDS Day</span> International day on 1 December

World AIDS Day, designated on 1 December every year since 1988, is an international day dedicated to raising awareness of the AIDS pandemic caused by the spread of HIV infection and mourning those who have died of the disease. The acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is a life-threatening condition caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The HIV virus attacks the immune system of the patient and reduces its resistance to other diseases. Government and health officials, non-governmental organizations, and individuals around the world observe the day, often with education on AIDS prevention and control.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transgender Day of Remembrance</span> Day to memorialize transphobia victims

The Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDoR), also known as the International Transgender Day of Remembrance, has been observed annually from its inception on November 20 to memorialize those who have been murdered as a result of transphobia. The day was founded to draw attention to the continued violence directed toward transgender people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBT rights in the United States</span>

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights in the United States are among the most advanced in the world, with public opinion and jurisprudence changing significantly since the late 1980s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transgender flag</span> Flag used by transgender individuals, organizations and communities

The transgender flag is used by people, organizations and communities to represent pride, diversity, rights and/or remembrance within the transgender community. Usage is similar to the original rainbow flag but specific to the transgender community.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBT pride</span> Positive stance toward LGBT people

LGBT pride is the promotion of the self-affirmation, dignity, equality, and increased visibility of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people as a social group. Pride, as opposed to shame and social stigma, is the predominant outlook that bolsters most LGBT rights movements. Pride has lent its name to LGBT-themed organizations, institutes, foundations, book titles, periodicals, a cable TV channel, and the Pride Library.

In the United States, the rights of transgender people vary considerably by jurisdiction. In recent decades, there has been an expansion of federal, state, and local laws and rulings to protect transgender Americans; however, many rights remain unprotected, and some rights are being eroded. Since 2020, there has been a national movement by conservative/right-wing politicians and organizations to target transgender rights. There has been a steady increase in the number of anti-transgender bills introduced each year, especially in Republican-led states.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eli Erlick</span> American activist and writer (born 1995)

Eli Erlick is an American activist, writer, academic, trans woman and founder of the organization Trans Student Educational Resources.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geena Rocero</span> Filipino-American trans model (born 1983)

Geena Rocero is a Filipino-born American model, TED speaker, and transgender advocate based in New York City. Rocero is the founder of Gender Proud, a media production company that tells stories of the transgender community worldwide to elevate justice and equality. Rocero has spoken about transgender rights at the United Nations Headquarters, the World Economic Forum, and the White House.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sarah McBride</span> American politician and transgender rights activist (born 1990)

Sarah Elizabeth McBride is an American activist and politician who has been a Democratic member of the Delaware Senate since January 2021. She was previously the National Press Secretary of the Human Rights Campaign. She won in the November 2020 election in the safely Democratic 1st Delaware State Senate district. As the first openly transgender state senator in the country, she is the highest-ranking transgender elected official in United States history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tourmaline (activist)</span> American artist and activist

Tourmaline is an American artist, filmmaker, activist, editor, and writer. She is a transgender woman who identifies as queer. Tourmaline is most notable for her work in transgender activism and economic justice, through her work with the Sylvia Rivera Law Project, Critical Resistance and Queers for Economic Justice. She is based in New York City.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andrea Jenkins</span> American writer and politician

Andrea Jenkins is an American politician, writer, performance artist, poet, and transgender activist. She is known for being the first Black openly transgender woman elected to public office in the United States, since January 2018 on the Minneapolis City Council and as the council's president from January 2022 to January 2024.

National Arab American Heritage Month (NAAHM) takes place in April. It celebrates the Arab American heritage and culture and pays tribute to the contributions of Arab Americans and Arabic-speaking Americans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Raquel Willis</span> American writer and transgender rights activist

Raquel Willis is an African American writer, editor, and transgender rights activist. She is a former national organizer for the Transgender Law Center and the former executive editor of Out magazine. In 2020, Willis won the GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Magazine Article. Her memoir, The Risk It Takes To Bloom, was published in November 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rest in power</span> Idiomatic expression; variant of "rest in peace"

Rest in power is an expression used to mourn, remember or celebrate a deceased person, especially someone who is thought to have struggled against systemic prejudice such as homophobia, transphobia, racism or suffered because of it, particularly in black and LGBTQ communities in the United States. It has been used to eulogize victims of hate crimes while protesting the social inequality and institutionalised discrimination that may have led to their deaths. It is a common phrase to use to honor someone's legacy, though as an activist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pride Month</span> Month of celebrating LGBT culture

LGBT Pride Month, often shortened to Pride Month, is a month, typically June, dedicated to celebration and commemoration of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) pride. Pride Month began after the Stonewall riots, a series of gay liberation protests in 1969.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moving Trans History Forward conferences</span> Moving Trans History Forward Conferences

Moving Trans History Forward is a series of interdisciplinary, international, and intergenerational conferences held in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, at the University of Victoria, hosted by the Chair in Transgender Studies. The conferences discuss trans history and activism, and are both academic and open to the public. The conferences also explore new trans research and the issues that impact trans, non-binary, Two-spirit, and other gender nonconforming (GNC) people.

Rachel Crandall Crocker is an American psychotherapist and transgender activist. She founded the community organization Transgender Michigan to improve transgender lives in Michigan in 1997. In 2009 she founded the International Transgender Day of Visibility (TDOV) as a counterpoint to the only other holiday for transgender people, the Transgender Day of Remembrance.

References

  1. ↑ "Nenshi proclaims Trans Day of Visibility". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on April 4, 2013. Retrieved April 4, 2013.
  2. ↑ "Today is International Transgender Day of Visibility". Human Rights Campaign. March 31, 2014. Archived from the original on September 11, 2018. Retrieved January 18, 2016.
  3. ↑ "On Trans Day of Visibility, Activists Rally to Turn Compassion Into Action". TakePart. Archived from the original on December 2, 2019. Retrieved April 2, 2021.
  4. ↑ "A time to celebrate". The Hamilton Spectator. March 27, 2014. Archived from the original on April 3, 2014. Retrieved March 31, 2014.
  5. ↑ Carreras, Jessica (March 26, 2009). "Transgender Day of Visibility plans erupt locally, nationwide". PrideSource. Archived from the original on March 27, 2013. Retrieved April 3, 2013.
  6. ↑ "Trans* Education & Advocacy Protest RTE March 31st". Gaelick. March 31, 2014. Archived from the original on April 3, 2014. Retrieved March 31, 2014.
  7. ↑ "Twitter / The_SSP_: The SSP stands in solidarity ..." March 31, 2014. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved March 31, 2014.
  8. ↑ "These Trans People Are Taking Selfies To Celebrate Transgender Day Of Visibility". BuzzFeed LGBT. March 31, 2015. Archived from the original on November 15, 2015. Retrieved January 18, 2016.
  9. ↑ Jackson, Jon (March 31, 2021). "Biden is the first president to issue Transgender Day of Visibility proclamation". Newsweek. Archived from the original on February 13, 2023.
  10. ↑ "A Proclamation on Transgender Day Of Visibility, 2021". The White House. March 31, 2021. Archived from the original on March 31, 2021. Retrieved April 2, 2021.
  11. ↑ "Hollywood luminaries sign letter supporting trans women on Trans Day of Visibility". Los Angeles Times. March 31, 2021. Archived from the original on March 31, 2021. Retrieved April 2, 2021.
  12. ↑ "A Proclamation on Transgender Day Of Visibility, 2022". The White House. March 30, 2022. Archived from the original on April 3, 2022. Retrieved April 12, 2022.
  13. ↑ Judd, Donald; LeBlanc, Paul (March 31, 2022). "White House hosts 'Jeopardy!' star Amy Schneider to mark Transgender Day of Visibility". CNN. Archived from the original on April 12, 2022. Retrieved April 12, 2022.
  14. ↑ "Trans Day of Visibility began 15 years ago. The founder is still moved by its success". NPR . March 30, 2024. Archived from the original on March 31, 2024. Retrieved March 30, 2024.
  15. ↑ Joe Biden (March 29, 2024). "A Proclamation on Transgender Day of Visibility, 2024". The White House . Archived from the original on March 30, 2024. Retrieved March 30, 2024.
  16. ↑ "What to know about Day of Visibility, designed to show the world 'trans joy'". Associated Press . March 28, 2024. Archived from the original on March 29, 2024. Retrieved March 30, 2024.
  17. ↑ Mulvihill, Geoff (March 29, 2024). "What to know about Day of Visibility, designed to show the world 'trans joy'". AP News. Retrieved April 1, 2024.
  18. ↑ Riley, Drew (March 30, 2016). "Wall of Words: Artist Drew Riley on the power of Transgender Day of Visibility". Austin Chronicle. Retrieved April 1, 2024.
  19. ↑ "Stories: Transgender Day of Visibility". Ford Foundation. March 31, 2023. Retrieved April 1, 2024.
  20. ↑ "Voices of activists for transgender rights". UNAIDS. March 28, 2018. Retrieved April 2, 2024.
  21. ↑ Sosin, Kate (March 31, 2021). "The History Behind International Transgender Day of Visibility". Ms. Magazine.
  22. 1 2 Janak, Jaden (2022). "(Trans) gendering Abolition: Black Trans Geographies, Art, and the Problem of Visibility". GLQ. 28 (2): 259. doi:10.1215/10642684-9608175.
  23. ↑ Johnson, Ryan. "Trans Futures: A Consideration of Transgender Youth, Transgender Visibility, and Transgender Citizenship." PhD diss., The Ohio State University, 2015. pp.22-23
  24. ↑ Redburn, Kate (2022). "The Visibility Trap". University of Chicago Law Review. 89 (6): 1546–7.
  25. ↑ "Sunday marks both Easter and the Transgender Day of Visibility. Cue the culture war". Politico. March 30, 2024. Retrieved April 2, 2024.
  26. ↑ "The Trump camp and the White House clash over Biden's recognition of 'Transgender Day of Visibility'". AP News. March 30, 2024. Retrieved March 31, 2024.
  27. ↑ Waldenberg, Samantha (March 30, 2024). "Republicans slam Biden for proclaiming Transgender Day of Visibility on Easter, though it's yearly observed on March 31 | CNN Politics". CNN. Retrieved March 31, 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.