Visibility. Joy. Empowerment. Authenticity. Community Action.
For members of The Center’s staff, these are just a few of the meanings that Transgender Day of Visibility holds.
Celebrated worldwide each year on March 31, Transgender Day of Visibility (TDOV) is dedicated to celebrating transgender and gender diverse people. In a time when the trans community is undergoing legislative attacks and hostile attitudes, this day sheds light on the beauty, joy, and strength that is often underrepresented in our media and in our minds.
“For a while, Transgender Day of Remembrance was the main occasion when trans folks would get together on a large scale,” shared Sable Schultz (she/her), our Director of Transgender Services.
While the first observance of Transgender Day of Remembrance was held in 1999, Transgender Day of Visibility was not celebrated for the first time until 10 years later in 2009.
“I remember seeing conversations online about the community’s need for a day that isn’t just about death and loss. We needed a day about visibility,” Sable reminisced.
The notion of visibility can mean a myriad of things. It can be about the community seeing one another and finding strength in the collective. It can mean feeling empowered and celebrating the authenticity and joy that comes with living as your truest self. It can also mean having role models to look up to.
When Sable was in her undergrad program, she learned about Lynn Conway, a transwoman and a famed pioneer of microelectronics chip design whose innovations created the foundation for modern chip design and production. Lynn Conway had developed a website highlighting other trans folks who were doing big things around the world, throughout history and in the present.
“Her thought was that we need to uplift these folks and use them as role models, saying and showing people ‘This is who you can be as a trans person,’” shared Sable. “I feel like Lynn Conway had a big impact in inspiring the idea to have a day to celebrate who we are and that we are visible as trans folks.”
Transgender Day of Visibility is also an opportunity to showcase the joy, pride, and beauty that the trans and gender diverse community experiences.
“Trans individuals often have little to no control over the narrative around our collective lives. We exist as a monolith – the trans experience,” said Ashley Browning (she/they), our Operations Manager. “You can see a small part of this through the innumerable media portrayals that focus on our suffering and loss.”
“These portrayals have created stereotypes that are used to define us, and these stereotypes have created situations where it feels uncomfortable to express happiness or hope as a trans person.”
“Trans Day of Visibility is a day that turns this inside out in an expression of pure gaiety,” Ashley shared. “It is a day to celebrate the joyousness of life. A day where our laughter and our smiles aren’t turned into metaphorical weapons to be used in our struggle to exist in a world that fights us every day; instead, it is a day where a smile is simply a smile and laughter is simply laughter.”
For Sandra Zapata (they/them), our Youth Services Director, “Trans Day of Visibility presents an opportunity to celebrate trans folx being here and taking up space, simply by existing. It is important to me that despite the challenges out in the world, we also get to enjoy being seen as whole human beings.”
Transgender Day of Visibility is a time to spotlight each individual’s experiences, and also provides an opportunity to reinforce the whole and to and build bonds across communities.
“It’s important that we recognize that a lot of our struggles overlap and are interwoven with other prominent struggles right now – things like reproductive rights, access to affordable healthcare, access to housing, financial help, and work,” said Sable. “By being out there and being visible, we can start building stronger coalitions across the board.”
This community action is what will propel us forward to a more just, equitable, and safe future for everyone. Our Support Group Coordinator, Joy Iwancio (she/her) shared that “this year means a lot to me since I’m now living full time as a transwoman. I hope that one day we can all live out and visibly without fear.”
While there is still more progress to be made, this Transgender Day of Visibility provides a moment to celebrate how far we’ve come.
“This day gives me an immeasurable amount of joy,” said Ashley. “It is one where I get to celebrate my most authentic self – and celebrate the simple, yet staggering beauty of being queer.”