International Transgender Day of Visibility
This annual acceptance holiday highlights the accomplishments and issues of trans and gender non-conforming people.
This annual acceptance holiday highlights the accomplishments and issues of trans and gender non-conforming people.
Nathaniel Glanzman
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The first International Transgender Day of Visibility was in 2009. The holiday was created by Rachel Crandall Crocker, LMSW, the executive director and cofounder of Transgender Michigan, a non-profit focused on advocating for trans and nonbinary communities.
Crandall Crocker wanted to create a holiday which did not focus on the violence the trans community faces. Rather, she wanted to create a space to celebrate the living trans community. She wanted to bring together people from around the world to celebrate the joy and breadth of the trans and nonbinary communities.
Traditions
Many nonprofits focused on trans and LGBTQ+ issues hold panels and other talks on this holiday. Also, many trans, non-binary and gender non-conforming people share their personal stories on social media and other internet platforms.
In 2021 and 2022, the White House issued proclamations honoring the International Transgender Day of Visibility. GLSEN, an LGBTQ+ educational non-profit, has a toolkit for educators to use in their classrooms.
As many trans activists (including Crandall Crocker herself) point out, now is not just a time for trans people to be visible. It is also important for allies to be visible. The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) notes that in 2022 alone, more than 200 anti-LGBTQ bills have been introduced across the United States. Many of these bills focus on discriminating against trans people and, more specifically, trans youth.
If you are not a member of the trans community, this day is a good time to educate yourself about the accomplishments of trans people. It is also a good time to read more about the discrimination that trans people face. The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) has a good primer on trans identity and discrimination.
PFLAG, a non-profit that advocates for LGBTQ people and families, has transgender-focused readings lists for kids, young adults, and adults. For young adults, they recommend books like Rethinking Normal by Katie Rain Hill, an award-winning teen memoir. For children, Jacob’s New Dress by Sarah Hoffman was called “upbeat yet realistic” by Publishers Weekly. Adults may want to pick up a memoir (like the classic Gender Outlaw by Kate Bornstein) or novel (try Stone Butch Blues by Leslie Feinberg).