In this post, Sophie Litherland, a Teaching Laboratory Technician at the University, explains what TDOV is about and why it is so important to highlight trans joy.
Today we celebrate Trans Day of Visibility, but what exactly does that mean?
The first Transgender Day of Visibility (TDOV) was celebrated in 2009 in the United States, as a response to the perception that only prominent trans people were visible to society as individuals, rather than as a demographic within the population. Since then, it has evolved in meaning and is celebrated across the globe.
One of the many purposes of TDOV is to highlight the injustices that trans people face both as systemic issues and from how society as a whole perceives us. This can range from access to appropriate medical care to prejudice from others. Recently in the UK there has been increased media output towards the trans community, with misinformation rife in many different forms, with an overall negative effect on the trans community as a whole. TDOV is an opportunity to listen to trans voices and understand what difficulties need to be overcome in the struggle for trans liberation.
While many cisgender people (non-trans people) may only hear of trans issues sporadically, for some of us it can be unrelenting throughout the year. It can be pragmatic to take some headspace away from this and for me personally, this will be in the form of trans joy. When I first came out to friends, one of the last responses I expected was a raucous “congratulations!”, but after having time to reflect, I can see that the congratulations were one of the most appropriate responses.
Trans joy can manifest in many different ways. For some it’s an opportunity to embrace their identity, whether new or well established. It can be as simple as taking the time to be grateful of our identity and the ability to express it. For others it can even be so simple for some as just enjoying whatever things in life make them happy, without having identity come into it at all. A simple smile can be a reprieve from the world all by itself.
There is also the attitude of being unapologetic about who we are. I have certainly felt the desire to just blend into the background about my identity, feeling the need to explain and justify my identity to others can be exhausting. TDOV gives an opportunity for trans people to be unapologetic about who we are, to be visible and to be heard. It’s about not worrying if our very identity might inconvenience others, but having it be something to celebrate and be proud of. If trans people can experience that just one day of the year, they may start to want to experience it every day of the year, which I can only see as a positive.
There is an adage within the community that exclaims “I hate being trans, it’s awesome” which comes to my mind frequently. It’s the unbridled joy of being myself in spite of everything, which I wouldn’t trade for anything.