Today we celebrate the strengths, joys, pride, and beauty of our transgender siblings. We see lives deserving to be honored and highlighted as prominent members of our community and we come together to celebrate each other and invite those who are just starting their learning journey. 

Originating in 2009, Transgender Day of Visibility was born out of the need to address a lack of positive attention toward the transgender identity amongst the LGBTQ+ community. Over a decade later, conversations around trans and gender identities continue to serve as a focal point for negativity and violence – both physical and verbal. There are staggering compilations of studies that purport to prove or disprove the reality of trans identities, with countless conversations surrounding trans identities, social policy and attitudes toward trans people, and issues such as self-harm and suicide.  

Together, these narratives are overwhelmingly negative and become the sole focal point for stories shared on and from the transgender community. Recent legislation across the country reinforces these themes, such as Florida’s recently passed “Don’t Say Gay” bill, Idaho’s HB 675, Alaska SB 140, and many more states' legislations, which target gender identity and cast the issue in a decidedly negative light. 

The Y and many other local nonprofits have organized to stand up against these acts of hate, LGBTQ+ support groups have swept in to address community harm and needs, and leaders and celebrities have made public statements against hate. Locally, TransFamilies.org offers support groups for families, Queercore has generated more youth-friendly queer programs, and many more organizations continue to combat these times of hate. The Human Rights Campaign has even gone as far as to recreate the American flag with the removal of 29 stars, one for each state that has pushed for the passage of anti-LGBTQ+ laws, policies, or practices.   

We invite you to continue, or start your learning, by visiting these resources, and then engaging with the Y to advance equity and justice for all: 

• https://freedomforallamericans.org/legislative-tracker/ 

• https://seattlepride.eo.page/3rp87 

• https://www.hrc.org/campaigns/equality-act 

In the 13 years since Transgender Day of Visibility began, we’ve come a long way, but the recent actions against our communities have proven evermore the importance of this day of visibility.  

Today serves as a momentous moment to acknowledge where we are as a people, and enable ourselves to highlight the beautiful humanity and agency of transgender individuals, today and every day. Highlighting our peers as people who are able to grow beyond the hate and become their true selves.