This brief article about Trans Day of Visibility is something I wrote this weekend (3/5/2022) to submit to a diversity & inclusion group. Feedback greatly appreciated!
Trans Day of Visibility (March, 31st 2022)
by RunaMorgen (Me, Brennin Runa) [She/her/hers] 3/5/22
March 31st is a day that typically goes by unnoticed by the vast majority of people, but starting in 2009 as “Trans Day of Visibility (TDOV)” it has become a day of great significance to many transgender people across the globe. Today, TDOV is one of the most crucial vehicles of the trans community to raise awareness, dispel virulent misinformation and push back against cruel anti-trans injustices taking place throughout the world. Before 2009, the only trans “holiday” was the more quiet and solemn “Trans Day of Remembrance” (Nov 20th in honor of those killed by violence or suicide)1. In contrast, TDOV was organized to focus on the lives and accomplishments of trans individuals still alive all around us today. Highlighting both current struggles and recent achievements of trans people help to break the harsh harmful stigmas that far too often lead others to dehumanize trans people and treat them with disgust, discrimination, and sometimes even outright violence.
This past year, several transgender people have been in the public spotlight, perhaps most notably the world famous actor Elliot Page, who came out as a trans man in December of 2020. Since then, his transition has been watched by millions as he shares experiences that are extremely familiar to many trans people around the world, but previously unknown to most others. His high level of visibility has had a tremendous positive impact everywhere, as the celebrity uses his massive influence to garnish support and compassion for trans people throughout the US and to oppose the spread of misinformation. As Elliot explains, “Extremely influential people are spreading these myths and damaging rhetoric -every day you’re seeing our existence debated… but Transgender people are so very real”2. In various interviews throughout the past two years, including Time Magazine, Page has reflected on his extreme discomfort from his earliest days of childhood, when everyone else saw and treated him like a girl. At the age of 9, he finally found some reprieve through a more masculine gender expression, but as his acting career took off at age 10 he was forced to wear a wig and grow his hair back out to make others more comfortable. “For a long time I just never recognized myself …. for a long time I could not even look at a photo of myself”. Page then describes how finally living openly and finally getting gender affirming surgery this past year “made it possible to finally recognize himself when he looks in the mirror, providing catharsis he’s been waiting for since the “total hell” of puberty”. The many experiences he shares are things so many trans individuals in the past have been trying to explain, only to be met with resistance, ostracization, and discrimination, contributing to a staggering suicide attempt rate of 41%. Page has helped to undo some of that, but even Page himself only found the courage to live openly after many years of suffering and credits his strength to other trans peers living visibly before him.
It’s not just the visibility of high profile celebrities that makes a difference however. In April 2021, an 11yr old girl named Kai Shappley became a public figure as she eloquently spoke up to defend her existence against the Texas state legislature, gaining the title “Kid of the year” by Time in 20223. “I love ballet, math, science and geology. I spend my free time with my cats, chickens, FaceTiming my friends and dreaming of when I finally get to meet Dolly Parton… I do not like spending my free time asking adults to make good choices.” The bills she spoke up against at that time were senate bills 1311 and 1646, banning trans related heathcare before adulthood and defining such healthcare as child abuse. At the time those bills failed (much in thanks to her), although in February 2022 a new proclamation by the Texas governor directly declared trans healthcare, including puberty blockers as child abuse anyway4. This is now ultimately forcing trans girls in Texas today to go through male puberty, a torture starkly against modern medical standards (according to the US department of Health and Human Services)5 and causes trans people permanent physical and psychological damage that most older trans women like myself have lamented over ever since it happened to ourselves. In an interview with Time magazine, Shappley recalled how lawmakers avoided looking at her during her speech, and no one spoke up to ask any questions when she was finished.3 With her health and wellbeing constantly under direct attack, Shappely has spent most of her childhood so far doing public speaking and standing up against discrimination. “Activism matters to me because it is a way to show that we belong... It’s a way to show that we will fight for what is right. We won’t sit silent.”
Trans people are everywhere, doing everyday jobs and trying to make the world a better place for everyone else too. A great example of this is Admiral Rachel Levine, MD, and assistant HHS Secretary of the United States6. This individual, a Harvard Graduate and former professor of Pediatrics and Psychiatry at Penn State was unanimously confirmed to the position of physician General of PA in 2015 by the PA State Senate, where she played a key role in fighting the opioid crisis in PA. In that position, she issued the overdose drug Naloxene to PA law enforcement, effectively saving thousands of lives. After being confirmed to her current position by the US senate in 2021, she’s fought for the health and wellbeing of people across the entire country, helping to steer the nation through the challenges posed by the COVID-19 epidemic.
Trans day of visibility is a day for celebration, unity, and raising awareness. The entire trans community has made substantial progress in my own lifetime towards securing civil rights and ending many forms of discrimination, but none of this progress would have ever happened if no one knew we existed. Myself and many others grew up without any trans public figures or role models at all, and lived completely isolated from any accurate or compassionate information about who we were, and we suffered greatly because of that. Thanks to more and more of us being able to live openly however, things no longer need to be the way they used to be. And with more of us visible than ever before, more information about us can be shared to accurately improve our well-being and more attention is being given to medical advancements that improve our quality of life. Standing together also gives those who still live in shame or isolation the courage to be true to themselves and find happiness before it's too late. Cruelty and injustices also still happen frequently and it’s important to continue to talk about such injustices and show that we not only exist, but deserve love, respect, and human dignity just like anyone else. Right now is such a crucial point in history for transgender people, and there’s as much potential to move forward as there is for the reversal of everything we’ve accomplished over the past few decades. The ways trans visibility improves lives is truly endless, and with all my heart, thank you for being a part of that and reading this, and for giving me the opportunity to share a little bit about why trans day of visibility is so important.
Citations:
1 Carreras, J. (2013, March 27). Transgender Day of visibility plans erupt locally, nationwide. Pridesource. Retrieved March 5, 2022, from https://web.archive.org/web/20130327152446/http:/www.pridesource.com/article.html?article=34351
2 Steinmetz, K. (2021, March 16). Elliot page on his identity and where he goes from here. Time. Retrieved March 5, 2022, from https://time.com/5947032/elliot-page-2/
3 Carlisle, M. (2022, January 12). Time Kid of the year finalist: Trans activist Kai Shappley. Time. Retrieved March 5, 2022, from https://time.com/6128490/kid-of-the-year-kai-shappley-trans-activist/
4 Abbot, G. (2022, February 22). lrl.texas.gov. Legistlative Reference Library of Texas. Retrieved March 5, 2022, from https://lrl.texas.gov/scanned/govdocs/Greg%20Abbott/2022/letter02222022.pdf
5 Becerra, B. (H. H. S. of the U. S. (2022, March 2). Press Release Statement by HHS secretary Xavier Becerra . HHS.gov. Retrieved March 6, 2022, from https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2022/03/02/statement-hhs-secretary-xavier-becerra-reaffirming-hhs-support-and-protection-for-lgbtqi-children-and-youth.html
6 Assistant Secretary for Health. (2021, October 19). Admiral Rachel L. Levine, MD. HHS.gov. Retrieved March 5, 2022, from https://www.hhs.gov/about/leadership/rachel-levine.html
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