Honoring Transgender Day of Visibility: Celebration, Education, and Action

Every year on March 31st, the world comes together to celebrate Transgender Day of Visibility (TDOV)—a day dedicated to honoring the courage, resilience, and achievements of transgender and nonbinary individuals. It is a time to uplift the voices of trans people, educate others about the challenges they face, and reaffirm our collective commitment to equality and justice.

Why Transgender Day of Visibility Matters

Historically, transgender individuals have existed across cultures and societies, contributing to the arts, sciences, activism, and every facet of human progress. Despite this, they have often been marginalized, erased, or forced into the shadows. TDOV was established in 2009 by trans activist Rachel Crandall-Crocker as a way to counterbalance the focus on violence and loss seen in Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR) (observed on November 20th). While TDOR mourns those we have lost, TDOV is a day to celebrate the lives, achievements, and contributions of living trans people.

The Challenges That Remain

While TDOV is about joy and visibility, it is also a day to acknowledge the work that remains in the fight for trans rights. Transgender people face higher rates of discrimination, violence, and barriers to healthcare, employment, and legal recognition. The current political climate has brought new waves of anti-trans legislation that seek to restrict access to gender-affirming care, limit protections in schools and workplaces, and erase trans identities from public life.

However, trans communities are strong, resilient, and united, and allies have a vital role in ensuring safety, support, and equality.

How to Celebrate and Support the Trans Community

Whether you are a member of the trans community or an ally, here are meaningful ways to observe Transgender Day of Visibility:

• Amplify Trans Voices – Follow, share, and uplift trans creators, activists, and educators on social media. Representation matters, and visibility can spark important conversations.

• Educate Yourself & Others – Learn about transgender identities, history, and the challenges trans people face. Share accurate, affirming information with friends, family, and your community.Here are some links to information and resources about transgender and gender non-conforming people now and throughout history:

  • Human Rights Campaign - 7 Things About Transgender People That You Didn't Know 

  • Bolingbrook Pride - 12-Page Gender Spectrum Resource Guide

  • Endocrine Society - Biological Basis for Gender Identity

  • Human Rights Campaign - Understanding the Transgender Community

• Support Trans-Led Organizations – Donate to or volunteer with groups that provide resources, advocacy, and support for trans individuals. Some excellent organizations include:

  • National Center for Transgender Equality

    • Advocates for Trans Equality fights for the legal and political rights of transgender people in America. 

  • Trans Lifeline

    • Trans Lifeline is a grassroots hotline and microgrants 501(c)(3) non-profit organization offering direct emotional and financial support to trans people in crisis – for the trans community, by the trans community.

  • The Trevor Project

    • The Trevor Project is the leading suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ+ young people. Trevor produces original research that amplifies the experiences of LGBTQ+ young people and adds new knowledge and clinical implications to the suicide prevention field. 

  • Princess Janae Place

    • The mission of Princess Janae Place is to help people of trans experience maximize their full potential as they transition from homelessness to independent living. 

  • Baltimore Safe Haven

    • Baltimore’s only trans-led drop-in wellness center

  • Marsha P. Johnson Institute

    • The Marsha P. Johnson Institute (MPJI) protects and defends the human rights of BLACK transgender people.

  • Transgender Gender-Variant & Intersex Justice Project (TGIJP)

    • The TGI Justice Project is a group of transgender, gender variant and intersex people, inside and outside of prisons, jails and detention centers—creating a united family in the struggle for survival and freedom.

  • Brave Space Alliance

    • Brave Space Alliance is based in Chicago and provides educational and access-based programming to provide community members with what is needed to survive and thrive.

  • Black Trans Travel Fund

    • The Black Trans Travel Fund is a grassroots, Black Trans led Collective, providing Black Transgender Women with financial and material resources needed to remove barriers to self-determination and access to safer travel options.

  • Bklyn Boihood

    • Bklyn Boihood is creating spaces where Black, Brown, queer and trans bois* and their communities can cultivate stories, dreams, creative work, and ultimately bloom.

  • TransTech Social Enterprises

    • TransTech is an incubator for LGBTQ talent with a tighter focus on economically empowering and developing the transgender community through career ready skills.

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• Advocate for Policy Change – Stay informed about legislation impacting trans rights and take action by contacting lawmakers, attending rallies, supporting legal efforts to protect trans individuals, and in schools.

  • Current ACLU Lawsuits Defending Trans Rights: 

    • https://www.aclu.org/issues/lgbtq-rights/transgender-rights

  • Safety & Legal Protections in Illinois: 

    • https://www.illinoislegalaid.org/legal-information/rights-lgbtqia-people-illinois

  • Illinois Name Change Information - Transformative Justive Law Project: 

    • https://www.tjlp.org/ | (312) 558-1472

  • Passport Gender Marker Updates: 

    • https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/passport-help/sex-marker.html

  • National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE) - Know Your Rights: 

    • https://transequality.org/

  • The Advocate Educator's Handbook: Creating Schools Where Transgender and Non-Binary Students Thrive

    • A critical guide on creating inclusive classrooms for transgender students

      offers a tested framework for educators to use in their journeys to create inclusive classrooms for transgender and non-binary students

• Show Up for Trans People in Your Life – Being a supportive friend, family member, coworker, or neighbor makes a real difference. Respect pronouns, affirm identities, and be there when your support is needed.

Visibility Leads to Change

Transgender Day of Visibility is about empowerment—breaking down barriers of misunderstanding, fear, and discrimination to create a world where trans people can live openly and authentically without fear. While visibility alone is not enough to ensure equality, it is a powerful step toward creating a future where all people, regardless of gender identity, are valued and celebrated.

To our transgender and nonbinary friends: We see you. We honor you. We stand with you. Today and every day, you are visible, valid, and vital.

With Pride and Solidarity,

Bolingbrook Pride