Today is International Transgender Visibility day (Friday 31 March 2023). It is a day to celebrate trans and non-binary people and raise awareness of discrimination faced by trans people worldwide.
What do we mean by transgender?
Everyone has a deep-rooted sense of their own gender. For most people, their gender identity will match the sex recorded on their birth certificate when they were born. But for some, their assigned sex isn’t true to who they really are. This is often referred to as being trans or transgender. There’s nothing wrong with being trans: it’s simply a part of the rich diversity of human nature. Trans people are a vital part of communities and cultures, as they have been throughout history.
Why do we need a day of visibility?
In a world where many people are prejudiced towards trans people and awareness of trans issues is limited, trans people can face hostility, discrimination and violence – simply for being who they are.
Living life openly as your true self is something most people take for granted. For trans people, living authentically – simply being visible - takes an enormous amount of courage. But with the increased visibility of trans people in our communities, the media and public life, comes awareness and changing attitudes – which is key to securing trans people’s fundamental rights. It’s time to stop vilifying those who are different from ourselves. It is important we stand up for the rights of the trans community and celebrate trans visibility.
Registration classes should watch this video and consider what is one small change YOU can make to allow people who identify as trans or non-binary to be comfortable expressing who they are?
