March 31st is Trans Day of Visibility where we celebrate those who’ve undergone significant self-discovery to live in alignment of their identity and be their authentic selves while navigating a cis-normative world. Trans folks live authentically in a variety of ways, sometimes out loud and sometimes in ways that ensure their survival, and always in spite of the discrimination they face through medical systems, rejection by loved ones, refusal of housing, and a whole system of barriers they encounter just to be themselves. This day was created by transgender activist Rachel Crandall of Michigan in 2009, as a reaction to the lack of LGBTQ+ recognition of transgender people, citing the frustration that the only well-known transgender-centered day was the Transgender Day of Remembrance, which mourned the murders of transgender people, but did not acknowledge and celebrate living members of the transgender community.

While this is a day that should be celebrated, we are seeing now more than ever the vitriol, antagonism, fear mongering and misinformation that is being circulated about transgender people. We deeply acknowledge that being out and being celebrated even beyond what has been happening recently was not always available to all trans folks. What’s worse, anti-trans and anti-queer citizens have successfully organized themselves to push their agenda of erasing trans and queer people, and are influencing the public under the guise of ‘protecting’ young people. In fact, 600 anti-trans bills have been introduced in the US in 2023 alone, and Canada is not immune to the hateful ideologies that are being enforced as law down south.

Now is the time for all of us to step up our commitment to standing up against backlash and to create inclusive communities where trans folks are safe.

Trans and gender diverse people have always been here!

Due to colonization and christian supremacy many gender expressions and language that gave folks ways to express their gender has been intentionally erased. What we are seeing in real time is the desire to unravel ourselves as a society from the impacts of colonization, which has opened some doors and space for kids, youth and adults to explore their authentic gender expression rather than simply being forced to align with a presumed gender that is assigned according to their genitals. 

The backlash to progress and the decades of activism that has been shouldered, mainly by trans women of colour, will attempt to have us believe that this is new and that it is the fault of the progressive left that more and more kids, youth and adults are now identifying as Two Spirit, Trans or non-binary. This is simply not true, as Cheryl Richardson reminds us, “People start to heal the moment they feel heard”. When we create safe and open ecosystems for kids to thrive, for youth to feel heard and for adults to feel supported, people will show us who they are. 

Cis folks need to do the work to ensure they are safe people and to unravel themselves from a Cis-normative, heterosexual, patriarchal socialization. There are many ways to do that. Wisdom2Action has loads of free resources that can be downloaded here.

If you would like to do some more learning about the impact of colonization on Two Spirit people on these lands, and particularly how to support folks who have also experiences gender based violence, please check out  Native Women’s Association of Canada’s free e-course Restoring the Circle.

But what about the children?

We’re barely into 2024 and we’re seeing the devastating and violent outcomes from trans rights being targeted. We are seeing the deadly impacts/consequences on trans youth that has come from the emphasis to ‘protect’ children from resources that celebrate gender diversity.. Just last month we learned about the tragic death of Nex Benedict and Brianna Ghey, two trans teens who were murdered by their peers. If the intent of new legislation is to protect children, we are seeing in real time how, once again, it is not all young people that are being protected by these efforts of politicians and advocacy groups.Once again, we must ask ourselves: who’s safety matters the most?

The more antagonistic our culture becomes towards Two Spirit, Trans and non binary peoples’ right to exist, the more devastating the outcomes will be. For many young folks, at school and with their doctors or nurse practitioners are often the only places they can be out and fully themselves. The more educational and medical resources become  restricted through Provincial and State legislation, or removed completely, the more trans youth will be targeted. These are direct attacks on bodily autonomy and we should all be very concerned. We must not forget that all systems of oppression are tied together; are we prepared for all of the other ways that legislation may change our rights to bodily autonomy? 

Just last fall Saskatchewan Premier, Scott Moe leveraged the  notwithstanding clause to claw back the rights of trans and non-binary students in Saskatchewan. More recently, Alberta Premier, Danielle Smith had announced that they will be prohibiting hormonal treatment, puberty blockers, and gender affirming surgery for children 15 years and younger. Just last week federal Conservative leader, Pierre Poilievre, announced that he supports banning trans women from women’s sports, change rooms, and bathrooms. If he is elected, this announcement has the potential to be enacted as law. More concerning, however, is that these irresponsible words will already empower harmful outcomes for trans women. 

Decisions being made in the United States can have a direct impact on our communities in this country. The Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA Bill) was introduced last year as a means to protect children under the age of 17 from online bullying and sexual exploitation. This bill is  widely supported by the senate and has the momentum to become enforced as law. On paper it would make sense to take measures to reduce risks that young people are exposed to on the internet. However, this also empowers state government and parents to reduce or ban access to 2SLGBTQIA+ content – isolating queer and trans youth from life-saving support systems.

We know that this type of hateful rhetoric has direct and horrifying consequences on real lives.   

What can we do now?

March is the month we honour International Women’s Day and Trans Day of Visibility, both crucial days in the fight towards gender equity. This month we invite you all to recommit to understanding how all of our liberation is bound up together; we are stronger together and we must work together against gender marginalization. 

Here are a few ways to advocate for trans rights:

• This might seem obvious but share posts by trans, Two Spirit, and gender diverse people on social media.
• Write to civic leaders, MLA’s, and MP’s that they must protect trans rights (especially as we head into an election in 2025).
• Pay attention to the priorities of your local school board, they have a lot of influence on what happens in the classroom.

For those seeking support: 

• Qmunity, located in Vancouver, has a variety of support groups for parents of trans youth, Two Spirit, trans and gender diverse adults and trans folks seeking information about medically transitioning.
• TranscareBC also has a fairly robust peer support directory, and resources for those who are looking to start their transition journey. 
• Momentum Canada is working to lobby politicians and raise awareness of trans rights in Canada.