Each year on March 31, the world observes Transgender Day of Visibility (TDOV) to raise awareness about transgender people. It is a day to celebrate the lives and contributions of trans people, while also drawing attention to the disproportionate levels of poverty, discrimination, and violence the community faces compared to cisgender (non-transgender) people.
International TDOV was created in 2010 by trans advocate Rachel Crandall. Crandall, the head of Transgender Michigan, created TDOV in response to the overwhelming majority of media stories about transgender people being focused on violence. She hoped to create a day where people could celebrate the lives of transgender people, while simultaneously acknowledging that due to discrimination, not every trans person can or wants to be visible.
Given that only a minority of Americans say they personally know someone who’s transgender, the vast majority of the public learns about trans people from the media, including TV, film, and news. This is a problem because, as shown in the Netflix documentary Disclosure, the media has misrepresented, mischaracterized, and stereotyped trans people since the invention of film. These false depictions have indisputably shaped the cultural understanding of who trans people are and have modeled, often for the worse, how the average person should react to and treat trans people in their own lives.
Evident in 2025 is intensifying vitriol and attacks against trans people led by a vocal but loud minority. We are seeing a continued year-over-year increase in anti-LGBTQ bills, including more than 450 anti-LGBTQ bills introduced in state legislatures across the country, according to the American Civil Liberties Union. In addition to these legislative attacks, trans people continue to face direct physical violence, declared an ongoing epidemic by the American Medical Association since 2019, which disproportionately affects Black trans women.
While our trans family has made significant progress in recent years, visibility alone is not enough. Their rights, safety, and very lives are being threatened. Today, celebrate our transgender community and show your support.
Join the TDOV celebration today at the Southeastern Transgender Resource Center from 12PM-7PM at 2418 Granby Street, Norfolk.
