The Transgender Pride Flag is the most well-known of the various flag designs. The colors represent the trans men, trans women and intersex members of the transgender community. | Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
Seven years ago, Rachel Crandall observed a lack of positive recognition of the transgender community.
The Michigan-based LGBT activist used Facebook to network and push for a designated day on which the transgender community could promote visibility and education. March 31 is now known as International Transgender Day of Visibility, and its participants have steadily increased since.
Instead of coming together under a banner of sorrow, as during the Transgender Day of Remembrance, the transgender community unites under a banner of hope for change on International Transgender Day of Visibility. Though its roots are in social media, with many tagging their posts, stories or images as #TDoV, transgender communities around the world also participate in public events.
“Some people are not even aware that transgender people exist, or maybe they conceptually know they exist, but they don’t know how common it is,” said LGBT Resource Center Director Lorraine Schroeder. “Or, they don’t have respect only because they don’t have the knowledge.”
No International Transgender Day of Visibility events were planned for UH this year.
“I think it’d be cool if they would hold some kind of panel to inform people,” said creative writing freshman Alex Jara, who identifies as transgender.
“It’s not just about pointing out trans people on this specific day – it’s about informing people.”
Physics sophomore and transgender student Richard Lybrand said holding an open discussion panel on International Transgender Day of Visibility would greatly help in the struggle to educate others.
“I think the biggest thing is trying to help the community,” Lybrand said.
While UH has a supportive community for LGBT students, some still fall through the racks, remaining unknown and misunderstood. International Transgender Day of Visibility is designed to combat the lack of knowledge in a positive way.
“We’re no different than anyone people see in their everyday lives,” said media production senior and transgender student Emily Chambers. “We live, love, dream, hope and desire in life the same way anyone does.”
Schroeder said the LGBT Resource Center plans on working International Transgender Day of Visibility into their events calendar for the following year, but expelling ignorance about what it means to be transgender and the spectrum of gender in general are as easy as a click or question away.
“Everyone is a human being,” Schroeder said. “Different doesn’t mean wrong.”
To start learning about what it means to be transgender, visit glaad.org/transgender/trans101.
