Happy International Transgender Day Of Visibility

Today is the first celebration of what founder Rachel Crandall hopes will be an annual event, the International Transgender Day of Visibility.

One of the problems I've long complained about that has had serious repercussion with trans people's levels of acceptance in the African-American community and beyond is our lack of visibility.

Well, the International Day of Visibility wants to to change that.

Too many of us transition, then go into hiding because of the intolerance of society. We grapple with shame and guilt issues instead of being proud of who we are and having the courage to stand up and say 'I am a human being who happens to be transgender, and you will not disrespect me'

Maybe if for one day, we can get transpeople to stand up in large numbers where they don't feel alone, that will subsequently happen.

The International Transgender Day of Visibility seeks to make transpeople less of a mystery to cis folks, point out that transpeople are all around you in your daily lives and have played roles in shaping our culture and history.

This event is also an opportunity for the people who complain about the Transgender Day of Remembrance being 'too somber' to participate in an event that celebrates who we are. It's also another opportunity for our allies to stand in solidarity with us.

As the awareness of this March 31 day increases, it becomes better organized, gets more media attention and people have a year to plan events for TDOV 2011 there will probably be other things attached to the general framework of this day.

I can see future TDOV events with components such as panel discussions on our issues at various venues, trans specific coming out day ceremonies, trans themed pageants or teach ins about our history.

The possibilities and directions this day could take, especially when people put their unique cultural and international stamps on it are endless.

But I hope the overwhelming message that gets out on this day is that we exist, we're proud to be trans people, we are your sisters, brothers and family members.

I also pray that the other message resonating from this day is that as fellow human beings, we deserve to live our lives to the fullest and will not be deterred from doing so.

What's The Transgender Day Of Visibility?

By now, most people are aware of the Transgender Day of Remembrance that happens every November 20 to memorialize the people we've lost.

Over the years, there have been calls by some trans people to make the TDOR a more happy-happy joy-joy event, to which the founders and others have resisted. TDOR does serve an important function in terms of focusing attention on anti-transgender violence.

Rachel Crandall, the head of Transgender Michigan is one of the people who asked why couldn't the trans community or someone start an event that celebrates who we are?

Then she asked the question that led to the formation of this event, 'Why isn't that someone me?'

Hence the first annual International Trans Day of Visibility was born.

Rachel's vision for the Trans Day of Visibility is to focus on all the good things in the trans community, instead of just remembering those who were lost.

"The day of remembrance is exactly what it is. It remembers people who died," she said. "This focuses on the living.

While the event she's organizing will be Michigan centric, thanks to her Facebook page the idea is quickly spreading around the world and other local observances are being organized.

When March 31 rolls around on the calendar, it will lead to an event that we hope will garner just as much or more attention than the TDOR has.