Transgender Day of Visibility celebrates accomplishments, acknowledges hard work ahead
Today is Transgender Day of Visibility in a year where transgender issues make headlines daily as conservative legislators and politicians target them as part of a campaign led by well-funded Christian nationalist groups like the Alliance Defending Freedom.
This morning, the transgender flag was raised at the Salt Lake City and County Building.
Visibility, transgender rights proponents say, is vital to turn the tide of fear and hate directed at transgender people.
“We need visibility for all and, in particular, for our youth,” said Utah transgender activist Sue Robbins. “We aren’t going anywhere.”
Project Rainbow Utah has been busy the past few weeks placing transgender flags in the yards of supporters who make donations to support transgender nonprofits. The organization is also holding a rally and march at the Utah State Capitol Building at 5 p.m.
“Today we celebrate you, organizers said on their Facebook page. “We honor those who have accomplished so much before us. We uplift those speaking up as themselves, for themselves, and for all of us. This day is about celebration while still acknowledging we have so much work to do.”
More than 430 state bills have been introduced in more than 40 state legislatures, and over 20 have become law, including two in the state of Utah. Grassroots organizing has helped to prevent some proposed bills from becoming law, with over 90 percent of proposed bills targeting LGBTQ people last year failing to become law.
Young students have also joined in the fight against laws targeting transgender people by walking out of class to protest in coordination with students from other schools. Anti-transgender rhetoric has been amplified on social media this week by far-right media personalities and members of Congress following a school shooting in Nashville where the gender identity of the suspect, Audrey Hale, remains unclear.
Surveys have found that policies preventing transgender people from accessing gender-affirming healthcare or using restrooms that match their gender identity are not overwhelmingly popular among most Americans. Organizations, including the Human Rights Campaign, the ACLU, and Lambda Legal, have argued that these policies are discriminatory. Court orders have blocked a number of anti-LGBTQ laws from taking effect in several states.
While litigation takes time, it has been successful in blocking some anti-LGBTQ laws. However, states that have passed laws targeting transgender people are becoming impatient. West Virginia has requested the Supreme Court to lift a lower court’s temporary injunction that has blocked the state from enforcing a law barring transgender women and girls from competing on female sports teams for more than a year.
It will take time to repeal laws targeting transgender and LGBTQ rights. The outcome of upcoming state and federal elections, including the 2024 presidential election, will play an outsized role in determining what the future will look like for transgender Americans.
