In a first for any United States president, Joe Biden issued a formal presidential proclamation for the Transgender Day of Visibility on Wednesday, as reported by The Washington Blade. Since 2009, the Transgender Day of Visibility has occurred annually on March 31 and is celebrated internationally. Unlike the Trans Day of Remembrance, which exists to honor and mourn those lost in the previous year, Trans Day of Visibility is to celebrate the work, contributions, and visibility of transgender and nonbinary folks.
As Daily Kos continues to cover, trans folks are facing an absolute onslaught of state-level attacks across the nation. A number of states are dead set against allowing trans girls and women to play on girls’ sports teams, while a growing number of states are also trying to bar transgender youth from accessing gender-affirming heath care. Some states, too, are trying to bar transgender folks from being able to update and correct their birth certificates. This context is part of why Biden’s proclamation is so meaningful.
In his proclamation, Biden acknowledges progress and the real-life impact it has on people of all ages. He writes that this “hard-fought progress” is “shaping an increasingly accepting world in which peers at school, teammates and coaches on the playing field, colleagues at work, and allies in every corner of society are standing in support and solidarity with the transgender community.”
Biden describes anti-trans violence as a “stain on our nation’s conscience” and recognizes that in spite of many steps forward, transgender youth and adults “still face systemic barriers to freedom and equality.” Biden makes specific note of barriers transgender people face when it comes to housing, jobs, and health care. He also notes violence disproportionately affects transgender women of color.
So, what’s next? As Daily Kos has covered, the Equality Act still sits in limbo in the U.S. Senate. Though the House already passed the progressive, LGBTQ+ inclusive legislation, the federal protection against discrimination for LGBTQ folks has yet to actually reach Biden’s desk.
Biden also brings in Vice President Kamala Harris, saying that they both “affirm that transgender Americans make our Nation more prosperous, vibrant, and strong.” The president urges the American people to uplift the “worth and dignity” of the transgender community.
In terms of the Trans Day of Visibility, you might notice that it’s not part of Pride month in June. As reported by Newsweek, according to Rachel Crandall-Crocker, executive director of Transgender Michigan, she originally gathered support for the day by reaching out on Facebook. Crandall-Crocker picked March because she didn’t want it to occur too closely to Pride or Trans Day of Remembrance, which happens in November.
What can you do to support transgender folks on the Trans Day of Visibility—or every day? Brush up on your knowledge about pronouns, the basics of allyship, and do your best to explore and center media for and by transgender people. Whether that means requesting books by transgender authors from your local library or making time to review a film or album by a trans creator, every bit counts when it comes to helping historically excluding groups get some traction and visibility in the mainstream. This can also be a means of helping trans folks actually get paid and get a little further ahead in a world that makes it so hard for some people to access a job or safe housing.
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