Trans Day of Visibility is observed on March 31 annually.
On this day, we acknowledge the resilience of trans people and celebrate them, encourage allies to voice solidarity with the trans community, and raise awareness about the discrimination still faced by trans people worldwide.
Today, we also ask ourselves what visibility really means. Visibility without solidarity inevitably leads to violence. Visibility without rights, safety, education, and liberation does not contribute to the advancement of the trans community. Making trans people more visible without creating a world where they are protected and allowed to thrive can set individuals up for harassment and harm.
This year alone, conservative lawmakers have introduced over 400 anti-trans bills in over half the states in the U.S. We need to fight back and support trans individuals now more than ever.
We as a society can do so much more to ensure that trans visibility always keeps liberation at the forefront, that the trans community feels protected and prioritized, and that trans kids can become trans adults.
Additionally, you can give directly to trans people and get used to donating regularly and redistributing wealth and resources, even if it’s a few dollars.
Donating is not about who is worthy of your money, but rather, “if I eat, then you eat” and this mantra is exactly what a sustainable future of collective care looks like in a late-stage capitalistic society.
Let’s continue to make this world safer for trans people.
Here are some organizations that put the well-being of the trans community at the center:
Trans Defense Fund Los Angeles (TDFLA)
Trans Defense Fund LA is a mutual aid organization that I founded, which provides free self-defense kits to trans individuals across the United States. We are 100% powered by the people and not funded by any government or corporate entity. We have been able to supply 2,000 individuals with safety kits to date. We also host self-defense classes and partner with various initiatives like REACH LA, Gender Justice LA, Latino Equality Alliance, and ProjectQ to provide trans-Angelinos with additional free resources. Trans folks keeping some form of self-defense items on them for an added layer of security and protection can do so much to help folks feel safer. To sign up for a free kit, click here.
Unique Women’s Coalition (UWC)
Unique Womenโs Coalition (UWC), based out of Los Angeles, is dedicated to being a collective voice centering the narratives and needs of Black trans culture. UWC is focused on fostering the next generation of Black trans leadership from within the community through mentorship, scholarship, and community care engagement work. They provide a multitude of free resources and services to the Black trans community.
TransLatin@ Coalition (TLC)
The TransLatin@ Coalition (TLC) was founded in 2009 by a group of transgender and gender-nonconforming and intersex (TGI) immigrant women in Los Angeles as a grassroots response to address the specific needs of TGI Latin@ immigrants who live in the United States.
Since then, the agency has become a nationally recognized organization with representation in 10 different states across the U.S. and provides direct services to TGI individuals in Los Angeles. In 2015, The TransLatin@ Coalition identified the urgent need to provide direct services to empower TGI people in response to structural, institutional, and interpersonal violence, and the Center for Violence Prevention and Transgender Wellness was born. Since then, the organization has secured funding from state and local government sources as well as several private foundations and organizations to provide direct services to all TGI individuals in Los Angeles County (LAC). TLCโs primary focus is to change the landscape of access to services for TGI people and provide access to comprehensive resources and services that will improve the quality of life of TGI people.
Trans Needles
Healthcare for trans individuals can be extremely difficult to access. Trans Needles is a non-profit mail-based service providing free HRT needle supplies for trans folks who cannot access or afford their own. They send a monthโs worth of supplies to people all around the country. Trans Needle ships out over 150 packages a month.
ProjectQ
ProjectQ is an organization that helps LGBTQIA+ youth navigate a world that perpetually tries to diminish them. Their mission is to use hair and self-empowerment as a form of social justice. ProjectQ provides free gender-affirming haircuts, self-empowering workshops, food and hygiene boxes, gender-affirming clothing, chest binders, menstrual products, and so much more to LGBTQIA+ youth experiencing homelessness. They also host events open to all with free resources every single month.
Secure the Bag Safety (STB)
STB Safety is another amazing trans-defense organization that uplifts the lives of BIPOC TGNCNB siblings by providing community support, safety kit outreach, and self-defense training. They are very active and host monthly virtual events on self-defense, how to properly use self-defense tools, and much more.
We Are The Ones Weโve Been Waiting For
We Are The Ones Weโve Been Waiting For is a mutual aid collective of artists and creatives based in Oakland. Its initiative, Arm The Girls, supports Black and Indigenous queer and trans femmes with emergency mutual aid support, stipends, and self-defense training.
Trans Lifeline
Trans Lifeline is a grassroots hotline and microgrants non-profit organization offering direct emotional and financial support to trans people in crisis and has been divested from police since day one. They are 100% for the trans community, by the trans community. Trans Lifeline’s microgrants provide trans and nonbinary people with low-barrier funds and support to correct names and/or gender markers on identifying legal documents, and supply necessities for our trans siblings behind bars.
Genderbands
Genderbands is an international nonprofit organization that serves transgender, gender non-conforming, and other gender-diverse communities. The organization is largely volunteer-run and executes programming, services, and events on both a local and international scale. Genderbands helps transgender people pay for transition-related costs. They also provide microgrants for gender-affirming top surgeries and HRT, free chest binders, events, and support gatherings.
Black Trans Femmes in the Arts (BTFA)
BTFA is a community-based arts organization that builds community and mobilizes resources to support Black trans femme artists. They organize programming that centers and highlights Black trans femme artists, executive produce projects led by Black trans femme artists, and provide direct support to Black trans artists. BTFA organizes events that cater to Black trans femme artists such as artist meetups, workshops, lectures, and art showcases featuring Black trans femme artists that are open to a larger public audience.
