5 Ways to Celebrate Transgender Day of Visibility in Self Quarantine

5 Things You Can Do to Celebrate Transgender Day of Visibility in Self Quarantine

     March 31st is Transgender Day of Visibility (TDOV).  It is not intended to be a day of mourning and quiet reflection, like Transgender Day of Remembrance. It is a day of to bring attention, loudly, proudly and publicly, to the living presence and amazing contributions of trans folk. To spread understanding and fight cissexism and transphobia. For trans-persons and their allies to bring to bear the combined power of open visibility and collective action. 

    But if TDOV is all about public visibility and group communication, what do we do during the time of COVID-19? We cannot safely get out in the streets, come together in the public square. How can we be seen? 

1. Learn About Trans History

Study up during the quarantine! Trans people have a long and proud history.  Did you know that Transwomen of color were the spark of the Stonewall riots that established LGBTQ rights as a civil movement? That a transgender woman exposed the U.S. government’s war crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan? That a transgender man helped fund the New Age Movement?  Our history is full of interesting facts and events!

2. Support Trans Organizations

    Less than 10% of grants going to LGBTQ organizations go to trans ones. Many trans organizations run on donations from people like you! The following are five trans organizations run by and for trans people that you can donate to:

1. El/La Para TransLatinas
2. Sylvia Rivera Law Project
3. Transgender, Gender Variant, and Intersex Justice Project
4. Trans Justice Funding Project
5. Trans Women of Color Collective

3. Learn to be a Better Ally

Learn the do's and don'ts of effective support for trans-rights and your trans-friends. And remember, don't out your trans-friends and family unless you first make sure they want you to! It may be Transgender Day of Visibility but sometimes trans folk don’t want to be or aren’t safe being visible.

4. Learn the Differences

Gender identity, gender expression, sex assigned at birth, sexual and emotional orientation: these are real and important differences. Peruse this chart:

Trans Student Educational Resources

    Gender identity is as different from sexual or romantic orientation as Gender is different from sex.  Learn more here.  Trans language is always changing and important to know. You can learn some trans terminology here.

5. Recognize, Call Out and Act in Consideration of Intersectionality


Trans Student Educational Resources


While trans is an identity, it is not a person's sole identity, nor the only issue a human being struggles against. This includes race, religion, ethnicity, immigation status, class and other factors. When trans awareness means vocal recognition of these intersections, it also means acting upon them, including always centering and never forgetting the plight and challanges of transfeminine persons of color, by far the group at greatest physical and social risk.



As we spend more time online and communicating verbally and electronically, we can still work this day and every day to expand awareness and create safer and more inclusive spaces for our transgender friends and family. 

Via noflowershere.tumblr.com