Today, March 31, marks the International Transgender Day of Visibility. According to the Human Rights Campaign — the largest LGBTQ+ political lobbying organization in the United States — this day celebrates the “joy and resilience of trans and nonbinary people everywhere by elevating voices and experiences from these communities.” The trans community has grown significantly larger within the past few years, with a staggering 5 percent of under-30s in the U.S. now identifying as trans or nonbinary, according to the Pew Research Center. Trans advocates are louder and more visible than ever, while President Joe Biden is vocal in his support of transgender rights, including medical interventions such as puberty blockers, breast amputation, and genital surgeries for trans-identifying children.
But as the visibility of the trans community increases, does it overshadow other groups who have fought hard for equal rights and recognition?
It is telling that the Transgender Day of Visibility falls on the final day of Women’s History Month. Pride Month, in June, already exists to honor the LGBTQ+ community. Why must one of the days of Women’s History Month also be devoted to the acknowledgment of trans-identifying people?
This question can perhaps be answered by considering how the advancement of “trans rights” has threatened women’s protections in other contexts. It is deeply troubling when “inclusion” takes precedence over women’s safety and dignity, such as the inclusion of males in women’s private spaces, sports teams, and prisons….
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