Transgender Day of Visibility

Hi! I'm visible today!

Mar 31, 2022

Today is the International Transgender Day of Visibility

It’s the one day a year you can actually fully see me as a corporeal being. (Mostly kidding.)

This morning, the Biden Administration actually released a suite of reforms that nearly had me in (happy) tears. These include:

The selection of ‘X’ as a gender marker on passport applications as of April 11, 2022. (Note: there are a lot of feels around this, including that gender should be eliminated as a field. Many trans, nonbinary, and gender diverse folks feel that utilizing an ‘X’ on official documentation puts them at risk by confirming their trans status to those who see their IDs as well as the federal government. That said, the government actually did research testing with the trans community on this and has even released the findings. That never happens.)
TSA patdowns being revamped and updating body scanners that will reduce the number of patdowns. They will also include ‘X’ gender markers on TSA PreCheck, CBP Trusted Traveler Programs, and require it as an option from air carriers across the nation.
Expanding trainings to support transgender and nonbinary students in schools as well as expanding general resources available to students and their families, including mental health resources. This also includes sharing how gender-affirming care is suicide prevention as well as trauma-informed care.
Removing the requirement that trans folks share doctors notes to change their gender with SSA (as of fall 2022). They are also allowing folks to select ‘X’ as a gender when filing an EEOC complaint, input gender identity when filing with FAFSA, and utilizing an ‘X’ gender marker when visiting the White House.
The President’s proposed Fiscal Year 23 budget includes $10 million in funding for additional critical research on how to best add questions about sexual orientation and gender identity to the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey. HHS just released a new consensus study on measuring SOGI data as well.
In addition to condemning anti-trans bullshit across the nation, the DOJ has filed Statements of Interest and amicus briefs in several matters to protect the constitutional rights of transgender individuals, including in Brandt v. Rutledge, a lawsuit challenging legislation restricting access to gender-affirming care for transgender youth; B.P.J. v. West Virginia State Board of Education, a lawsuit challenging legislation restricting participation of transgender students in school sports; Corbitt v. Taylor, a lawsuit challenging legislation restricting the ability to change gender markers on state driver’s licenses; and Adams v. School Board of St. John’s County, which involves the right of a transgender boy to use the boys’ restroom at his school.
They’re strengthening protections for transgender prisoners, including improving access to gender-affirming care and the correctly gendered facility. The DOJ is investigating prisons in Georgia due to multiple instances of abuse and assault against transgender folks.
The administration is also fighting for the passage of the Equality Act. So far, they’ve also established the first Interagency Working Group on Safety, Opportunity, and Inclusion for Transgender and Gender Diverse Individuals - co-led by the White House Domestic Policy Council and Gender Policy Council. They’ve held 15 listening sessions including one specifically with trans women of color.
On November 15, 2021, President Biden signed an Executive Order on Improving Public Safety and Criminal Justice for Native Americans and Addressing the Crisis of Missing or Murdered Indigenous People. The Executive Order directs federal agencies to work hand in hand with Tribal Nations and Tribal partners to build safe and healthy Tribal communities to address the crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous People, including LGBTQI+ and “Two-Spirit” Native Americans.
There’s more, including ensuring gender-affirming care is an essential healthcare benefit, protecting folks from healthcare discrimination, advancing health equity research on gender-affirming care, improving and expanding HIV/AIDS programs, ensuring trans folks can access birth control, working to improve HUD recognition of gender identity, nondiscrimination protections at work, and releasing a toolkit on transgender equality.

I also really appreciated how they went over what they’ve done recently. I missed some of these with the pandemic on and whatnot.

'trans people won't be erased' written on a gradient trans-colored background multiple times

On Visibility

The history behind International Transgender Day of Visibility by Kate Sosin
What Trans Visibility Could Mean for Trans People, and Everyone Else by Emma Ambrose
The Day I Decided to Be Out and Proud as a Transgender Medic by Johnny Alex

On Support (and Hate)

'Change has begun,' two-spirit Métis elder says on Transgender Day of Visibility by Charlotte Nolin
In Their Words: Four Texans speak on Transgender Day of Visibility by Lauren McGaughy and María Ramos Pacheco
Most Americans Support Trans Rights — Except Right-Wing Media Viewers by Oliver Haug
Gabrielle Union Says Parents Should Believe Kids “When They Tell Us Who They Are” by Samantha Riedel
How Strands for Trans built a movement for transgender-friendly barbershops by Tat Bellamy-Walker

Navigating Transness in an Immigrant Home Has Brought Me Heartbreak & Hope by Rommy Torrico
Trans Day of Visibility: The Small Group of Legislators Working on Anti-Trans Bills Won't Win by Sam Ames
Anti-LGBTQ Bills Make Me Feel Like I Have to Live a Double Life by Amaris Ramey

On Gender-Affirming Surgery and Other Steps

Surprise, It’s Depression: Recovery from Gender-Affirming Surgery by Alex Petkanas
The Mental Health Impact of Delays to Gender-Affirming Surgery by Sarah Fielding
The International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, and Intersex Association (ILGA World) just released a toolkit supporting trans human rights defenders in their advocacy work towards legal gender recognition.

It’s okay to mess up, obviously. Perfection is a tool of white supremacy.

But also make sure to apologize and work on making amends. Most people don’t, and it means a lot when you do.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go be invisible for a bit.

Chase Strangio @chasestrangio

I want to see zero #TDOV posts that are not coupled with action. You don't see me if you don't fight for me.

Thanks for reading! If you have feedback or anything you’d like to share, feel free to reach out to me on social media or email (all linked here).

Until next time,
Grayson

Graysonology

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