Transgender Day of Visibility 2022
31 March 2022
Transgender Day of Visibility is an annual event occurring on March 31 dedicated to celebrating transgender people and raising awareness of discrimination faced by transgender people worldwide, as well as a celebration of their contributions to society.
The Directors of our gender services shared a message to mark the day.
Message from Dr James Barrett, Director of the Gender Identity Clinic
"It’s Trans day of visibility today. Transfolk aren’t magically more visible on this day more than any other of course. Transfolk are present always, and always have been.
Transfolk work in your local library, deliver your milk in the morning, help develop the software on the phone you use every day and also work with you as colleagues. Transfolk eat, sleep, laugh, cry, love, get angry, feel disappointed or overjoyed just like everyone else does. Mostly just trying to get on with being themselves and living their lives just like everyone else has to do. Transfolk aren’t unusual or very different; they aren’t even few in number - about as commonly found as people with naturally red hair.
Some Transfolk you’ll notice but most you won’t. And whether or not you notice them all those Transfolk will be looking at you, of course. Watching you do your thing, living your life with all the ups and the downs that come to you. They might even help you along the way sometimes, out of human kindness. They’re not going to suggest that you 'aren’t real’ or ponder aloud whether your personal identity is some sort of illness. All they want is for you to do likewise."
Message from Dr Polly Carmichael, Director of the Gender Identity Development Service
“Today is Transgender day of Visibility, an opportunity to celebrate diverse identities and raise awareness of the challenges trans people still face to achieve equality.
Whilst there is without doubt greater awareness, media coverage all too often reflects ‘othering’ of trans individuals and a lack of understanding and perhaps even willingness to hear their voices as equal to any other. I hope today will provide an opportunity to hear and appreciate these rich and diverse voices.”