Transgender people and allies across Southern California will celebrate Transgender Day of Visibility this weekend, a time when trans, nonbinary and gender nonconforming people around the world can embrace their visibility and share their experiences.
Technically, the annual day falls on March 31, but because this year that also is Easter Sunday many Transgender Day of Visibility events will be observed Saturday, March 30.
Transgender people are those whose gender identity doesn’t align with the sex to which they were assigned at birth. It is also sometimes seen within the LGBTQ+ community as an umbrella term for other identities, such as nonbinary, gender nonconforming, agender and genderqueer.
Los Angeles resident Jacqueline Hughes plans to celebrate this weekend by doing her makeup so that she looks “real fierce,” and listening to the late trans musician and producer Sophie.
Hughes, a 27-year-old trans woman and a musician, believes Transgender Day of Visibility is important because the LGBTQ+ community is facing “this looming attempt at erasure through fear mongering and forceful legislature.”
“Seeing other trans people throughout art, culture, politics and protest is important to facilitate that feeling of not being so alone,” Hughes said. “It’s being able to believe you, too, can accomplish and not be hindered by the fear of not being accepted. It’s to shed light on our struggles to those who may not understand.”
Aydian Dowling, 36, a trans man and co-founder of a nonprofit, wishes there was more visibility for trans, nonbinary and gender nonconforming people year round.
“I prefer to highlight trans people all the time. But I think it’s a day that provides a sense of empowerment for our community,” Dowling said. “There are a lot of people who don’t feel safe, or are in environments where they can’t be visible, so I think (Transgender Day of Visibility) provides an outlet for those individuals to realize that there…
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