Today is International Transgender Day of Visibility (TDOV). Recognized globally, TDOV is dedicated to celebrating transgender people and their contributions to society. It also brings attention to the continued discrimination transgender people face prevnting them from being able to live out their authentic lives.
Neish McLean, OutRight’s Caribbean Program Officer says, “Trans Day of Visibility is an important celebration of resiliency and visibility for trans and gender non-conforming people around the world. In these uncertain times, it is even more important to lift up a community that remains vulnerable and marginalized. On TDOV, I want to salute my community for our creativity, our remarkable strength and our endless determination to overcome - a skillset that is needed more now than ever before.”
For transgender people, a community among the most marginalized groups in society, visibility is a constant challenge - one that is heightened in times of crises. A lack of visibility of the transgender community correlates to continued transphobia that exists around the world. Deeply ingrained social norms, prevalent myths, and in most countries, discriminatory legislation, all serve to keep trans people invisible and unable to reach their full potential. Most countries even lack legal gender recognition laws. This goes hand-in-hand with the lack of laws protecting transgender people from discrimination in employment, housing, and public accommodation - which are both daily needs and human rights.
In places where these human rights are not protected, neither are transgender people. This legitimizes discrimination from the general public and generates deep-rooted hatred towards an entire community of diverse people. Discrimination against the transgender community is often manifested in violence, which resulted in at least 26 deaths in the United States in 2018. These numbers are also kept invisible, and are wildly inaccurate due to the lack of reporting. Misgendering in police reports, or a lack of police reports at all, minimize the attention that these hate crimes receive.
Discrimination of trans people is frequently compounded by intersections of racism, sexism, and transphobia - putting trans women of color at the highest risk. In 2014, OutRight’s board member and trans activist Rikki Nathanson faced malicious prosecution and emotional distress at the hands of Zimbabwean police after being unlawfully arrested on charges of “criminal nuisance” for using a bathroom which corresponded with her gender identity. Nearly five years later, the Zimbabwean High Court delivered a “scathing judgment” against the police and Rikki Nathanson was awarded 400,000 Zimbabwean dollars in damages.
While harassment like that faced by Rikki is common, wins in court are not, and injustices continue to take place daily. Last Saturday, a trans woman was stabbed to death in Harlem, New York, a stark reminder that transphobia can transcend even a global pandemic.
Today is about bringing to light these injustices while championing transgender people’s contributions to society. Use today to educate yourselves. In fact, use the entire pandemic. Join virtual TDOV events, read up on trans history, or hear directly from the trans community themselves.
Here are two articles written by OutRight about the realities of being transgender: one by an OutRight fellow Lua Da Mota Stabile and one by our staff member Cacille Ealy.
We have the power to make the trans community visible. Debunk myths, listen to stories, ask questions, and share their victories - there are plenty.
Published on March 31, 2020 | OutRight Action International an LGBT human rights organization