In observance of Transgender Day of Visibility taking place today, the LA LGBT Center’s CEO Joe Hollendoner published the following inspiring statement in the Center’s newsletter Vanguard Now.
Today is Transgender Day of Visibility, an observance started by activist Rachel Crandall Crocker to celebrate trans people around the world.
Since 2010, TDoV (as it’s known for short) has been a joyous occasion which uplifts the names, faces, stories, and societal contributions of trans and gender nonconforming people. This year, we honor TDoV with an added sense of urgency.
“We are living in a time of trans visibility. Yet we are also living in a time of anti-trans violence,” wrote Tourmaline, Eric A. Stanley, and Johanna Burton in the introduction to their 2017 anthology, Trap Door. “The promise of ‘positive representation’ ultimately gives little support or protection to many, if not most, trans and gender nonconforming people.”
These words carry an extra sting today, when we’ve all heard about the troubling 400+ pieces of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation being introduced and passed throughout the United States. Most of these bills directly target transgender people by seeking to criminalize or severely limit access to gender affirming care (for both minors and adults), while others aim to prohibit transgender people from using the restrooms of their choice. They are part of a coordinated effort to—once again—demonize LGBTQ+ people, and label our community as a threat to the public.
That trans people are the center of this political punching bag is no coincidence. In fact, it’s a tale as old as time: the origins of the LGBTQ+ movement, from Compton’s Cafeteria Riot to the Stonewall Riots of 1969, began as revolts against police brutality and overreach. The police employed paltry justifications of expired liquor licenses and anti-crossdressing laws to target queer spaces and violate our rights. They were enforcing a moral code that they believed LGBTQ+ people—by virtue of our very existence—were violating. Today, that supposed violation of morality has been expanded to include drag shows and storyhours, as well as school curricula inclusive of LGBTQ+ history.
The same history that ought to be taught in our schools is exactly what we need to be reminded of today: They try to control us because they are threatened by our freedom. That’s why we’re throwing it back to the good ol’ days, when trans, gender nonconforming people, and drag artists led the way in our pursuit of liberation, and we collectively demonstrated against the anti-LGBTQ+ wave. On April 9th (yes, that’s Easter Sunday), the Center is teaming up with a growing list of community partners to launch the Drag March in West Hollywood. There, we’ll gather to hear from activists, elected officials, and drag performers about how to fight back—and we’ll do so dressed in our Sunday best. Please RSVP for the latest updates on the day’s events.
Gathering, demonstrating, and even celebrating can be powerful forms of resistance. But when I think back to the warning of Trap Door—that visibility isn’t always the answer in an inequitable society—I’m even more grateful for the work we do at the Center. Sometimes, the most valuable thing we can offer the movement is a place to rest your head, a meal to warm your belly, or a laugh with your chosen family. This is the work the Center was founded on.
Drag March
I’m pleased to say that work is on full, glorious display at Trans Wellness Center, our location in Koreatown, which program manager Mariana Marroquín describes as “the bridge between the trans community and the services they need.” TWC has a fully-stocked fashion closet, appointments available to meet with the Center medical and mental health providers, and representatives from Legal Services to assist with everything from name changes to gender marker updates and beyond.
“Visibility is a luxury that not everyone can afford,” Mariana tells me. “I only decided to be visible when I had a roof over my head and was able to provide for myself. My visibility came once I had possibilities—and my community gave me that strength.”
Now, Mariana is paying it forward, making sure she is helping to facilitate the same possibilities she was once granted. “We need to affirm that being yourself is beautiful,” she says. “That needs to be protected. And I know we’re going to keep fighting.”
I commit the Center to the pursuit of Mariana’s vision and to continuing the Center’s 50+ year fight for equality, especially for our trans and gender nonconforming community members. Thank you for joining us in this fight.
I wish you a joyous Trans Day of Visibility and look forward to seeing you at the Drag March on April 9th.
In solidarity,
Joe
