Join us on March 31st in celebrating transgender people, their contributions to society and raising awareness of discrimination faced by transgender people worldwide.
Written by Catalina Parra
Transgender Day of Visibility is an international event on March 31st dedicated to recognizing the resilience and accomplishments of transgender and gender nonconforming people. On this day we seek to raise awareness about the work that is still needed in order to foster inclusive spaces for the trans community.
History of Transgender Day of Visibility
The transgender community continues to face discrimination worldwide and transgender individuals are often subjected to violence, harassment and inequality simply because they have been born different.
Rachel Crandall, a U.S.-based transgender activist, founded this day in 2009 to raise awareness for the incredible burden of discrimination faced by this community. The for a day of ‘visibility’ for the transgender community is indicative of the oppression they face in many sectors of life. Crandall wanted to highlight the fact that the only transgender-centric day that is internationally recognized is Transgender Day of Remembrance, a day to mourn members of the community who had lost their lives, and that there was no day to celebrate living transgender people. By 2014, the day was observed by activists in Ireland and Scotland while, in 2015, many transgender people took part in the event by participating in social media campaigns. They succeeded in making the day go viral through their posts of selfies and personal stories.
What can we do to help to create inclusive welcoming spaces for transgender members of our community?
- Let’s not assume anyone’s gender identity. We may ask simple questions such as: “How may I refer to you?” or “what pronouns do you use?
- Start conversations differently. We can start meetings by noting the pronouns we would like others to use when referring to us, while extending an invitation for others to share their pronouns.
- Make our pronouns known. Change the signature and Zoom username by adding pronouns in parenthesis.
- Use preferred names. It is key to refer to a person by the name they have introduced themselves with. If for any reason we need to ask for a legal/birth name, it should be done in private.
- Be comfortable in the discomfort. These interactions may feel awkward at first; however, these are fundamental steps towards a more inclusive campus.
- Foster affirming and positive spaces on campus. We can educate ourselves about the experiences of trans people, our own positionality and how we can become allies (see resources below).
- Be patient and willing to learn. If we make a mistake, let’s be open to acknowledge it and persistent in our learning journey.
For more information, watch the UBC Equity and Inclusion video: Beyond the binary
Learn about Gender Diversity at UBC: Show your support as an ally
Join the UBC Positive Space campaign: Positive space campaign