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We are Resilient: Trans Day of Visibility 2023

Published on Mar 30, 2023

Trans Day of Visibility is not just about celebrating our trans family and communities, but about acknowledging the continuous fight for equality, safety, security, and justice. Today and every day, Astraea is proud to amplify trans voices, and stand in solidarity with our trans communities.

We are Resilient: Trans Day of Visibility 2023
WHERE
USA- New York- New York

Resilience. Resilience, like visibility, can be challenging and complicated. We so often find resilience out of necessity. We find resilience when we face a rise in dangerous rhetoric and policy as we are in this moment. Right now in the U.S. there are 435 anti-LGBTQI+ bills working their way through legislation–the majority of which specifically target trans communities. Globally, conservative government-sanctioned criminalization and discriminatory politics and practices normalize violence towards trans communities. In moments like these, visibility feels scarier and resilience is harder to summon.

But we also get to choose resilience. We are resilient when we center care and softness, and when we build bridges and solidarity. As always, our grantees are creating change through grassroots movements and building a new political reality that is inclusive, respectful, and safe for all community members. They are doing groundbreaking work in increasingly hostile environments. As we celebrate this year’s Trans Day of Visibility, we are holding multiple truths and finding resilience in community.

Today, we are honored to share the resilient, caring, intentional work of some of our trans-led grantee partners:

  • West Africa Trans Forum (West Africa-Cameroon): West African Trans Forum (WATF) is a network of transgender people and groups led by trans, intersex and non-conforming folks. Their mission is to address violence, stigma and discrimination against trans people in West Africa and Cameroon through regional advocacy and awareness raising, ensure trans-specific healthcare and HIV care and treatment through sensitization of healthcare workers and key state and non-state actors, and to improve the capacity of individuals and organizations through capacity and movement strengthening initiatives. This year, to mark TDoV, they are hosting a webinar entitled Inclusion and visibility of Trans* people in West Africa; how far have we come?
  • MUDE – Movimiento de Mujeres Unidas, Diversas y Empoderadas (Colombia): MUDE organizes a community of cis and trans women and their children. Through their program TRANSformanfo realidades [TRANS-forming realities], they have designed a safe space for the exchange of trans experiences and tools for the enforceability of rights. In recent months they launched their first Afrofeminist and Antiracist School as well as healing circles for all women.
  • The Foundation of Transgender Alliance for Human Rights (Thailand): Thai Transgender Alliance, or Thai TGA, supports transgender and gender diverse people in Thailand to have a better quality of life and works to advance the human rights of transgender people through policy advocacy, research, public education, network building and media advocacy strategies. In the past five years, they have led a national effort to secure legal gender recognition for trans people in Thailand. Recently they underwent a consultative process with trans, non-binary and intersex people in Thailand in order to advocate for the introduction of the Gender Recognition Bill. They have prepared a draft bill as well as a policy brief from the consultations.
  • inTRANSitive (Little Rock, Arkansas, U.S.): inTRANSitive’s mission is to improve the lives of Trans Arkansans through education, organizing and celebrating their resilience. They are the only Trans migrant-led organization in the state. Their work focuses on anti-violence, immigration, and community building. Their anti-violence work focuses on providing education to direct service organizations on how to serve Trans survivors and helps to hold these organizations accountable as they implement anti-violence practices. They also provide support to Trans survivors escaping violent situations and host community events to incorporate education around healthy relationships.
  • TransWave Jamaica (Jamaica): TransWave Jamaica is led by trans people working to advance the health, welfare and well-being of the transgender and gender non-conforming community in Jamaica and in the Caribbean. Founded in 2015, Transwave Jamaica started as an advocacy initiative in the form of a blog. Their mission has developed to promote change which results in the social inclusivity, recognition of rights, and legal protection of the transgender and gender non-conforming community. In February 2023, they hosted a trans health and wellness symposium. Recent publications include the Human Rights Violation Report and the Case for Gender Recognition Legislation in Jamaica.

Today and every day, Astraea is proud to support and celebrate trans-led organizations, trans activists, trans communities, and trans resilience.

This Trans Day of Visibility (TDoV), we are proud to have collaborated with artist, Acacia Rodriguez, to create this brilliant illustration. Acacia can be found at IG: @BBKashe & AcaciaRodriguez.com