March 31 is the global celebration of International Transgender Day of Visibility, honoring trans and non-binary people and elevating voices and experiences from these communities.
According to this background from GLAAD,
“International TDOV was created in 2010 by trans advocate Rachel Crandall. Crandall, the head of Transgender Michigan, created TDOV in response to the overwhelming majority of media stories about transgender people being focused on violence. She hoped to create a day where people could celebrate the lives of transgender people, while simultaneously acknowledging that due to discrimination, not every trans person can or wants to be visible. “
According to the ACLU, more than 500 anti-LGBTQIA+ bills have been introduced in state legislatures across the country. What’s more, incidents of direct physical violence have increased, particularly against Black and Brown trans women, with the American Medical Association declaring an ongoing epidemic since 2019.
“According to available tracking, fatal anti-transgender violence in the U.S. is on the rise and most victims were black transgender women,” said AMA Board Member S. Bobby Mukkamala, M.D.
This year’s observance of International Transgender Day of Visibility is clouded by the growing backlash against transgender people and putting their lives at risk. NOW members are determined to stand tall against those who are using every tool at their disposal to scrub transgender people from America.
The anti-trans agenda coming from the White House is unsafe for every American, making it legal to harass and discriminate against people in the workplace, criminalize doctors and teachers for personally supporting trans rights, censoring scientific research and journalism, limiting access to passports and IDs for trans people and barring them from military service, and making it harder for every American to access IVF treatments, among other assaults on civil rights.
Here are some more resources for International Transgender Day of Visibility from Human Rights Campaign, and GLAAD.
NOW members know that trans, non-binary and gender-expansive youth and adults are not strangers. They are parents and family members, co-workers, neighbors and friends. And today, we are reminded they face unprecedented attacks from the president, Congress, legislatures, businesses and courts. It’s up to us to counteract the disinformation and hate campaign targeting the trans community