Transgender Day of Visibility is an annual, international event celebrated annually on March 31st. Its purpose is to raising awareness of the discrimination transgender people face and to celebrate transgender lives and culture. It was founded in 2009 by Rachel Crandall, a trans activist from Michigan. She was frustrated with the fact that the only known trans holiday was Transgender Day of Remembrance, which mourns the deaths of transgender people throughout the year. Crandall saw a need for a day which acknowledges those of us who are living. The first TDoV was celebrated on March 31st and has since expanded to countries all over the globe. TSER- Trans Student Educational Resources, a youth advocacy organization, has worked to bring awareness to the event since then.
TDoV is a day that encourages us to go out and be seen. It allows us to show that we are valid members of society that are capable of contributing our part in a variety of ways. We exist in all parts of life. We are part of families, communities, workplaces. There are some people who would say we should not be allowed to integrate into society, but the fact is that we are already integrated. For those of us that are comfortable with living out as our true selves, we need to participate in this holiday in every way we can. It's more than changing the border on our Facebook pictures or updating our banners across our social media accounts. It's about being vocal and sharing our stories, educating others about the discrimination we face, recognizing how our community intersects with others, supporting organizations that fight for people like us and learning our own history.
Here is a list of organizations you can donate to help aid in our fight for equality.
Human Rights Campaign
Trans Student Educational Resources
National Center for Transgender Equality
Sylvia Rivera Law Project
The Trevor Project
GLAAD
Transgender Law Center
WPATH
Lambda Legal
ACLU
Global Action for Trans Equality
Transgender American Veterans Association
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