Transgender Day of Visibility: March 2020

Stonewall D&A Newsletter March 16, 2020 | 0

Transgender Day of Visibility is every year on March 31st. This day is to celebrate all the Trans people in our lives and community! March is also Women’s History Month so we will highlight women in our community who have contributed through activism for our Rainbow View. For our trans family members, whether you’re super visible or more reserved, you’re loved! To allies, let’s build up our trans family members not only this month or on Trans Day of Visbility but every chance we get!

Volunteer Team Message

We have completed our Volunteer Leadership Team elections! Stay tuned for updates and to meet your new team of Volunteer Leaders. From our 2019-2020 Team, it has been a pleasure serving all of you and working to better serve our community. Thank you for your continued support!

Trans Day of Visibility

On March 31st Transgender Visibility Day (TDoV) “aims to bring attention to the accomplishments of trans people everywhere while fighting cissexism and transphobia by spreading understanding of trans people.“ It was started because its founder was frustrated by the lack of positive awareness days for transgender people. This was in contrast to transgender remembrance day (November 20th) where people who have passed are remembered.

Rachel Crandall-Crocker

is a licensed psychotherapist specializing in transgender issues called Rachel Crandall started TDoV. In 2009, she began TDoV with the youth organisation Trans Student Educational Resources in Michigan.

Check out Rachel Crandall’s speech at the Grand Rapids Trans Foundation in 2018

Some people feel safe enough to be visible while others do not. Being visible can have certains costs to the person’s livelihood or even worse their life. Some feel it’s not safe to be out due to fear about their work, friends or housing. People may think it’s harmless curiosity to want to know more about a trans person.

However, it’s not a trans persons role in this world to make the cis-people around them feel comfortable or answer personal questions. It’s the trans person’s choice to disclose what information and when they want to share it. But awareness days like Trans Day of Visibility provide opportunities for education and positivity. The more visibility and understanding, the more safe people can feel about their gender expression.

If you’re interested or in need of Trans resources in Japan, please check out our Transgender Life resources page here.

In recent days this has been increasing. In 2017 a poll found that 37% of Americans personally knew someone who is transgender. (1) There is a variety ways that trans individuals are divsere including visliblity, age, and sexual orientations. When celebrating the 10th anniversary Rachel (Founder) acknowledged countries celebrate the day differently “I’m not trying to get everyone to do exactly the same thing like they do with Remembrance Day. I don’t believe that one size fits all.” (2) As not all countries have the same legal freedoms for transgender people to be as visible.

Trans Activists from Around the World

Nairobi Castillo, a Dominican Trans Woman who is HIV-positive, is the head of Community of Trans and Transvestite Sex Workers (COTRAVETD) in the Dominican Republic. Her experiences as trans woman who did not have access to support and engaged in sex work, drug use, and other hardships serve as the inspiration for her work. She founded COTRAVETD in 2004. One of her goals is to pass a gender identity law in the Dominican Republic.

Mehlab Jameel, is a researcher and community educator. They helped draft Pakistan’s 2018 Transgender Persons Act. They were able to work in a team made up of lawyers, activists, and researchers in drafting the bill. This bill includes different points, among them it allow people the right of self-determination of their gender identity and expression and protection from discrimination. They dream of a “queer future” in which systemic roots of oppression are met with strong political culture. (3)

Celebrating The Trans Community!

Trans Student Educational Resources (TSER) laid out 10 different ways to celebrate

Trans Visibility Day
Go to Local Transgender Day of Visibility events! Attending and being visible shows support for the community and could inspire others to do the same! We’d like to add, organizing your own if there isn’t one in your local area. Trans Day of Visibility Hanami anyone?

Make Woman’s Spaces Encompassing of Trans Women! Along with making male spaces encompassing of Trans Men and also making all spaces more welcome to folks who identify outside of female and male. Everyone can help in this!

Learn about Trans History! Trans women like Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera were very important to the start of the queer liberation movement that started in the US and would spread to the world! To check out their other seven ideas click here: https://www.transstudent.org/tdovaction

Allies let’s heed a word from the LEGENDARY Miss Major. ““[T]he people who care about us…they’re the people who need to become more visible.” Acknowledge the trans people in your life, claim and show your support publicly. #SupportUsInTheLight #AlliesBeVisible

Being an Effective Trans Ally Infographic

Rainbow View

A monthly feature to shine light on the rainbow spectrum

March Focus: Women’s History Month, Women and Activism

Social Justice issues today exist very close to one another. For example, Black Lives Matter ties into gender equality which ties into justice for Trans Women of Color. As people, as queer people, we have the opportunity to speak up and support many different causes.

Everyone can speak up about an injustice, even if it doesn’t personally affect them. Activism takes many forms. People who lead organizations, present speeches, do art work, host a support group, or are running for public office for example. Find an issue you are passionate about, learn about that issue and how you can help, and use your skills to help. This post from StudyBreaks.com breaks down the barriers surrounding “activist” and “non-activist”. (4)

The Women:

Sylvia Rivera & Marsha P. Johnson are two of the most prolific women in the history of the LGBTQIA+ rights movement. They were central to the Stonewall Riots and the wave of activism that followed. STAR, their organization, provided for the most vulnerable members of the community, often homeless trans youths and advocated for an end to discrimination and prison reform. Their legacy lives on as an inspiration for many LGBTQIA+ individuals and organizations today. (5)

Ellen DeGeneres is one of the most recognized queer faces around the world. In her 90s sitcom Ellen, DeGeneres’ character became the first lead gay character to come out on television. DeGeneres has gone on to host a talk show and receive many accolades.

Ayako Fuchigami became Japan’s first openly transgender assembly person when she won a seat in Hokkaido’s Legislative Aeesmbly in 2019. She aims to create a society that reflects “the opinions from diverse people..”. Her message reached people and overshadowed critics who called her a “flashy” candidate. She now is in the position to support other marginalized voices. (6)

Lady Phyll (Phyll Opoku-Gyimah) is the co-founder and executive director of UK Black Pride. UK Black Pride is “Europe’s largest celebration for LGBTQ people of African, Asian, Caribbean, Latin American, and Middle Eastern descent”. Lady Phyll has created a sace for people that are often the more marginalized of the already marginalized and has built a system intended to support and celebrate these identities. (7)

Jazz Jennings is a young trans woman who is bringing her life and LGBTQ+ activism to screens all around the world through her YouTube channel and TV show, I am Jazz. She appears on the show with her family and shows one way in which a family can be supportive and an ally to it’s child. She’s also written a children’s book based on her life, I am Jazz co-authored by Jessica Herthel. Her activism and visibility have brought conversations about trans youth, LGBTQIA+ identities, and equality to many homes. (8)

newsletter transgender transgender day of visibility

Transgender Day of Visibility: March 2020