Each year, March 31 marks Transgender Day of Visibility, a day dedicated to celebrating the accomplishments and victories of transgender and non-binary people. The day was created to spotlight transgender people, while also recognizing that some, because of discrimination, can not be visible. That's why this year, GLAAD is focusing on why transgender people love their identity with their campaign, #ILoveBeingTransBc.
The campaign is kicking off with a video featuring transgender people from many different backgrounds talking about why being transgender is a gift and why the transgender community is so amazing. Ultimately, the campaign aims to spread messages of hope, happiness, and positivity to the transgender community and remind people of the joy in Transgender Day of Visibility.
So many messages and discussions in the media, online, in TV or in movies focus on the discrimination or struggle transgender people face, and that's in part a reflection of real life. The transgender community faces alarming rates of violence and discrimination, with black transgender women murdered at a higher rate than the general population. And that's not even counting the many victims whose deaths go unreported. While it is important to talk about issues the transgender community faces, it’s also powerful to highlight the resilience, strength, and joy of the community.
In the video, artist and writer Alok says, “I’ve been able to create my own narrative, tell my own story and not have to subscribe to other people’s ideas of normal or other people’s ideas of beauty,” adding, “Every day is a journey to becoming the person I know myself to be.”
Devin Lowe talks about how being transgender has enriched his life, and how the experience is not always negative. “There’s so much positivity that comes with being trans as well. Being trans gives you a different look on life. It helps you to see people for who they are and not just what they look like,” Devin says.
Everyone’s experience with being transgender or a part of the LGBTQ community is unique, and many transgender people do love and embrace their lives and who they are. GLAAD’s #ILoveBeingTransBc campaign helps to reclaim that message.
"With current suicide attempt rates at 40% for transgender people, it is imperative that trans people begin to hear positive, well-rounded, fair, and accurate messages about themselves and their community," Shane Henise, campaigns manager at GLAAD, said in a statement. "While it is important to talk about obstacles and issues the transgender community faces, it is also important to highlight the trans community’s resilience. GLAAD is hoping to shift the cultural narrative around experiences of transgender people from one of single-note negativity to positivity."
Find more information on Transgender Day of Visibility from GLAAD here.
Related: Athletes Ask Power 5 Schools to Adopt Equal Policies for Transgender Students
