Opinion: Transgender Visibility Day: What Is It, and How Can We Be Inclusive?
posted by Frankie Boyer | April 5, 2022 | In News, OpinionInternational Transgender Day of Visibility is celebrated every year on March 31 to bring awareness to the presence and achievements of transgender and gender non-conforming individuals as well as the lack of justice and respect for those who identify as such. GLSEN, an American education-based organization, formerly the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network, is supported with the goal of ending discrimination, harassment, and bullying on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression. They aim to create inclusive learning environments in all grades, K-12. GLSEN brings recognition to transgender and gender non-conforming individuals by providing students, teachers, and people of all backgrounds with various resources detailing how to be inclusive, as well as educational materials about gender terminology, model school policies, and the basic human rights that transgender/GNC* individuals have. The University of Florida provides a list of terminology related to the LGBTQ+ community. They define “transgender” as follows: “An identity label used to describe a person whose gender identity does not align with the socially expected one according to their sex assigned at birth.”
The term transgender is often used as an umbrella term to include anyone of any identity that does not align with their birth sex. These identities include, but are not limited to: genderqueer, gender-nonconforming (GNC), bigender, agender, etc. The Pew Research Center found in 2021 that across most religious and demographic groups, 30% of people know someone who identifies as transgender.
For readers who know someone that identifies as transgender, or any identity under the umbrella term, be sure to let them know how much they are loved and supported. As of March 15, 52% of transgender individuals in the United States have considered suicide. In a survey conducted by the Trevor Project in 2021, 85% of transgender/GNC youth reported that the recent debates of anti-trans bills negatively affected their mental health.
To be inclusive when meeting someone new, ask them for their preferred name and pronouns. Not everyone has the privilege of legally changing their name or getting gender-affirming care, so do not make assumptions about someone’s identity. Respect the preferred name and pronouns of the people you meet. If you make a mistake, simply correct yourself and move on. Your transgender/GNC peers will appreciate it.
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