Trans Day of Visibility 2023

Today is #TransDayofVisibility. So, what exactly does that mean in a year when we’ve already been made VERY visible by lawmakers, school officials, and in the media? We asked around in our community. This year, it means…

• Intentionally LISTENING to trans people (including trans youth) about their own personal experiences (like our Twitch Ambassador @baeginning said so well) is so vital:

• “Seeing other visible trans people thriving despite their struggles, seeing them overcome adversity is not only inspiring to me, it is a lifeline that my childhood self needed more than anything, & my adult self needs now more than ever.” – Twitch Ambassador @BeaplaysRBLX
  
• “Today is the day to make sure that the trans community is visible for who they are and what we stand for. Today is the day to make sure that a trans person in your community feels seen and that their opinions and ideas are heard. Today is the day to make sure that the trans community is seen and most importantly heard in any level of legislation, especially if our rights are up for debate.” – Kiki (she/her), 14 yo Youth Voices ambassador from New Jersey
  
• We need to engage with and share more trans content and uplift trans content creators to learn from each other and educate allies – we have stories on Youtube, weekly Twitch streams, and even a whole trans and nonbinary playlist on TikTok.

• “When I feel afraid to speak, to be seen, to lock arms & resist, I think of Audre Lorde’s words: ‘that visibility that makes us most vulnerable is that which also is the source of our greatest strength.’ I am nonbinary, & I stand with you.” – Twitch Ambassador @lilasfox

• We need to share resources to support one another. We have an entire database of over 1,000 LGBTQ+ organization on our Get Help page that you can filter by issue area and location, including a page just for trans and GNC people.
  
• “Anti-trans legislation, stigma, and systemic attacks have made it a horrible time to be a trans person. In an era where we are being persecuted and silenced more than ever, this is a time to stand in support with one another. To my fellow trans and non-binary community: be safe.” – Phi (they/them), 15 yo Youth Voices ambassador from California
  

It’s more imperative now than ever to fight for and affirm our trans neighbors, friends, and loved ones.

• Allies need to stand UP: “It’s more imperative now than ever to fight for and affirm our trans neighbors, friends, and loved ones. I stand with my fellow transgender brothers & sisters in unity to make this world a better place for them!” – TikTok Creator TJ
  
• “I remember for a while I didn’t put ‘trans’ in my bio…but now, i started to wear it as a badge of honor…because i didn’t want to hide this part of me. Now, what you see is what you get and i’m going to just keep on trying being visible…I want to be that visible trans woman that people can’t normally see in their everyday lives.” – Twitch ambassador @Baeginning

• Take the It Gets Better pledge and join 765,000 people who have made a public commitment to standing up and speaking out against hate and intolerance — to advocating for LGBTQ+ youth and for the change they want to see in the world.

• And we need to remember that through everything, we’re not going to stop celebrating trans joy – and despite a very vocal minority, there are still plenty of people who have our backs. (NOTE: this will be accompanied by a variety of screen grabs of positive allyship and folks speaking out on behalf of the trans and non-binary community in recent months.)
  
• “This Trans Day of Visibility is different because there is so much damage being done by politicians and close-minded people who don’t understand what it’s like to be trans. Our community-especially our youth- is hurting and we need to recognize it and let it be known that we are not going anywhere. I want other trans people and kids to know that there are so many people fighting for you. I know it’s so hard right now but try your best to drown out the hate with love and show everyone your trans joy. Allies, please speak up. Fight for us. Vote for us. Trans kids should not have to be fighting for our rights but we are and you can help us.” – Elliot (they/them), 15 yo Youth Voices ambassador from Texas

This #TransDayOfVisibility, listen, learn, be loud and be proud. We’re in this together!