A Call to Action on Transgender Day of Visibility
Today is the 12th annual International Transgender Day of Visibility (TDOV), a day to celebrate the contributions, triumphs, strength, and resilience of transgender and non-binary people. There are so many successes— everywhere from Washington, D.C. to TV—that I’m compiling a separate article. (I talk about it at the end of this email.)
TDOV is also a day to advocate for an end to discrimination. This year, transgender children’s rights have once again been thrust into the national light.
At least 93 anti-trans bills have been introduced in 2021.
The Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest LGBTQ civil rights organization, reports a staggering number of bills coming out of state legislatures across the country.
This is a crisis that is being orchestrated nationally by spreading misinformation, denying science and preying on fear. Groups like the Heritage Foundation and the Alliance Defending Freedom, which the Southern Poverty Law Center lists as a hate group, have made an organized attack on the rights of transgender people. The Heritage Foundation polled people to find out what would most animate their target audience. When their data revealed that anti-trans bias would drive a response, they helped launch the current backlash against LGBTQ rights.
This political maneuver has real and long-lasting impacts on the well-being of transgender children.
What we can do.
Advocate
Below are some of the states with pending anti-trans legislation. If you see your state, click the link to see the Human Rights Campaign or ACLU’s updates on the legislation and what you can do. If an action isn’t listed, call your state legislators. (You can use this script.) These actions will take five minutes or less, and they’ll make a real impact.
West Virginia (House Bill 3293)
No matter where you live, call your U.S. senators and ask that they support the Equality Act. If you’d like more information about the Equality Act, you can start with my column, “Making our country a safer, more just place to live,” which ran in The Richmond Times-Dispatch on March 28.
Educate
Stay up-to-date by following the ACLU and the Human Rights Campaign. They post alerts, news, and simple, quick tasks we can do to meaningfully support equity and civil rights.
Over the next several weeks, I’ll be writing more about the Equality Act, delving into state legislation, and highlighting some of the many contributions transgender people make in health and science, arts and entertainment, politics, business, and religion. You can keep an eye on my blog or sign up here to get each article emailed to you. (Having trouble signing up? Reply to this email to let me know.)
Also, you can participate in one of the Transgender Day of Visibility events happening tonight. This list was compiled by Equality Virginia.
Thank you for standing together.