March 31st is Transgender Day of Visibility, a day dedicated to celebrating transgender people while also raising awareness of the discrimination faced by this community. According to the Trans Legislation Tracker, 87 anti-trans bills were passed in 2023 and 15 have been passed so far in 2024. These bills have real-world, harmful consequences for trans kids, teens, and adults. Misinformation through media coverage or negative rhetoric from lawmakers often misrepresents or ignore transgender perspectives and voices. It is crucial that we listen to these perspectives. Here are resources that center trans youth, leaders, activists, and elders as they share their experiences.
Projects
NYC Transgender Oral History Project in collaboration with the New York Public Library: an archive dedicated to preserving and sharing trans histories. Features audio interviews and transcripts about a variety of topics and from transgender folks of all ages and backgrounds.
Trans Aging: A Legacy of Visibility from Sage Advocacy & Services for LGBTQ+ Elders: A virtual gallery celebrating six transgender elders. Each image is accompanied by a short narrative from the elders to share their experiences.
TransGenerational: Trans Lives Across Time from THEM: A collection of eight interviews with transgender elders who discuss their lives in law, fashion, acting, activism, and burlesque.
TRUTH Storytelling from Gender Justice Leadership Programs: Collects interviews of trans and gender-nonconforming youth from around the country. “GJLP organizes youth-led programs for trans and gender nonconforming young people to build public understanding, empathy, and a movement for liberation through storytelling and media organizing.”
Trans Talks Series from the Human Rights Campaign: “Across the country, we have seen violence against our trans community and for too long other people have spoken for us. With Trans Talks, we are coming together to grow our trans community and define our future using out own voices.”
Something to Talk About from PFLAG: episodes on demand that focus on fighting misinformation, voting rights, anti-trans legislation, nonbinary topics, and more.
Articles
The 19th News: Trans students and their parents ask Education Department leaders to help them fight anti-LGBTQ+ bills
Yale Medicine News: What Does Medical Care Look like When You’re Transgender?
Teen Vogue: What Hight School is Like for Transgender Students
The Washington Post: “I’ve always known I was different”: Four trans people share their stories