TDOV was created by Rachel Crandall-Crocker to celebrate trans life and bring trans communities together. In 2023, she explained:
“I created the Transgender Day of Visibility back in 2009. And the reason why I did that, is because there was an awful lot of loneliness (…) and I wanted a day that we could be proud about ourselves.”
Amidst a global backlash against trans communities and gender diversity, we know that many people are feeling isolated, scared, and lonely. The past two years have seen the beginning of anti-trans policies and laws spreading across Canada, alongside an escalating onslaught of anti-trans laws in the United States. Some countries have restricted access to gender-affirming care, while others have moved more broadly to limit queer and trans people’s ability to exist as themselves.
In this context, some people want to be visible, some people cannot be visible, and some people have no choice in their visibility. Whether visible or not, we celebrate TDOV as a day to be proud of ourselves.
We maintain hope for a future where everyone has access to the gender-affirming care that they need. This hope stems from our relationships with community members and healthcare providers who refuse to back down and who continue to advocate.
We take inspiration from Rachel’s concluding message:
“One person can change the world, and you don’t need to be perfect to do it. I’m really not fluent as a result of my Tourette’s. However, it doesn’t matter. And if you think that you’re not good enough or talented enough to change the world, well I’m telling you right here, you are wrong, you really are. And I did.”
We do not know what the future holds. But we do know that even if things get worse before they get better, they will ultimately get better. Because all of us, imperfectly together, can change the world.
We hope this day brings you joy, love, affirmation, and safety. You deserve all of these things, all of the time.
Hamilton Trans Health Coalition