Today, Pride Portland! recognizes International Transgender Day of Visibility. On March 31st, we celebrate transgender and non-binary people around the world. We take this day to stand up and show the world that we are here. We stand up to raise awareness of the struggles, the discrimination, and the violence that trans and non-binary people face – especially trans and non-binary BIPOC. The need for visibility increases in importance each year. We need to show the world that we demand equality and progress, that we demand what is owed to us: our human rights. We do this today by sharing our stories and our struggles, by being visible for those of us who cannot be, for those of us who feel unsafe in a society that constantly opposes us. We do this today to educate and to advocate, and bring to light the cultural, legal, economic, and societal obstacles we face. Here in Portland, and in Maine, our rights continue to be recognized and improved, however, that does not mean discrimination and struggles in the workplace or in our city and state cease to exist. For example, healthcare and sports teams continue to be a major issue, not just here but throughout the country. Some states are attempting to pass laws right now regarding those issues to discriminate against us. Here, the Deputy Director for Transgender Justice of the ACLU, Chase Strangio, speaks about such bills:
https://twitter.com/NBCNewsNow/status/1377229115242258437
Today, if you are able, we ask you to stand up and speak out, post to social media, and raise awareness amongst your friend groups and workplaces. We must not remain silent. We must not become stagnant. Trans Rights are Human Rights.