GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — March 31 is Trans Day of Visibility, which celebrates the lives of transgender and non-binary people in our community.
The day of commemoration started in 2009 with a Michigan transgender advocate who was concerned the narrative surrounding trans individuals was primarily focused on remembrance and crimes against the community.
Trans Day of Visibility began to celebrate and bring visibility to the lives of trans people.
“So that's kind of the spirit of the event, is to be able to celebrate anybody who's trans and gender non-conforming, you know, because we're real people,” said Jazz McKinney, Executive Director of the Grand Rapids Pride Center. “We have everyday lives. And we deserve to be celebrated just like everybody else.”
McKinney said that visibility is more important than ever this year, as many in the community are feeling targeted by laws around the nation—like a Texas order to treat gender-affirming medical care as child abuse.
“So I think this day means even more, to just show people like, you know, we deserve to be here. We deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. And, you know, just live our lives,” said McKinney. “And I mean, most of us just want to live our lives, you know, not bother anybody, you know, but when we see things like this in the news, it just has such a detrimental effect.”
McKinney said the trans community in West Michigan is active and supportive, fostering a close-knit connection despite some groups having over 150 people in them.
“We just want to love and be supported, and helped to thrive, and, you know, just live our lives,” McKinney said.
The Pride Center is partnering with the Grand Rapids Trans Foundation to host a virtual art gallery on Instagram and a reading event at Books and Mortar this weekend.
For more information on the Grand Rapids Pride Center, click here. To find resources for Michigan LGBTQ youth, click here.
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