Life
Transgender Visibility Day Events Happening Today
Friday, March 31 is Transgender Day of Visibility, a special holiday recognized all over the world to celebrate the many accomplishments of transgender and gender non-conforming folks. It's also a day to raise awareness for the work that still needs to be done in order to save trans lives. Now that the trans community has become more visible than ever before, it's important to come out and show your support. Many organizations like Trans Student Educational Resources encourage everyone to celebrate the day by having open discussions, creating direct actions, and spreading knowledge about the trans community from wherever you are.
Being an ally to trans and non-binary people is super important. According to the TSER, "with more visibility comes more understanding." As they've found, 80 percent of trans students feel unsafe at school because of their gender expression, nearly 60 percent of gender non-conforming students have been verbally harassed in the past year, and nearly 50 percent have been physically abused. About 41 percent of trans people have attempted suicide.
This year's theme is #TransResistance. As TSER writes on their site:
"In the increasingly transphobic global political climate, we must use our newfound visibility to mobilize trans people against oppression. This recognizes that while visibility is important, we must take action against transphobia. Visibility is not enough alone to bring transgender liberation. However, we can use visibility as a vital tool for transgender justice."
If you want to how your support, Transgender Day of Visibility events are happening everywhere. Here are just a few events happening around the country:
1TDOV 2017: Love & Resistance
This is probably the biggest event of them all. TDOV 2017: Love & Resistance takes place at SOMArts in San Francisco. The event is sure to be a great time with entertainment, awards, music, food and drinks. The special guest in attendance will be Gigi Gorgeous. The event begins with a reception at 5:30 pm PT, followed by the program itself at 6:30 pm. For those who can't physically attend, TDOV will be livestreaming the event.
2Alternative TDOV After Party
After the big TDOV 2017 event, there's an "Alternative After Party" at the Balançoire in San Francisco. Proceeds from the fundraising arty will benefit the Trans Lifeline and Trans Student Educational Resources. There's will dancing, trans activist speakers, cabaret performances, and raffles.
4Grand Rapids Trans Foundation Friday Fundraiser
On March 24, the Grand Rapids Pride Center kicked off a week-long trans visibility celebration by lighting up the Blue Bridge in Downtown Grand Rapids with the colors of the transgender pride flag. They continued their celebration throughout the week with rallies, a children and family reading hour, and a night where people were able to share stories of "stealth, activism, and positivity. Today, they're ending the week by holding a fundraiser to benefit the Grand Rapids Pride Center and the Grand Rapids Trans Foundation with a raffle and hors d'oeuvres.
5Transgender Artists Showcase In Chicago
This is the first ever Transgender Day of Visibility showcase. According to the Columbia Chronicle, the showcase will feature artwork from 30 different trans artists. The showcase takes place at the Center on Halsted in Chicago.
These are just a few examples of what's happening around the country. According to the Trans Student Educational resources, there are TDOV events taking place everywhere today and throughout the weekend. So, if you're looking to celebrate the trans community today, you can search on Facebook for any TDOV events happening locally. If you can't make it out to any event or there's nothing planned where you are, there are so many other ways to participate, from educating yourself to making signs and posting selfies to show your support.
