Transgender Day of Visibilty proclaimed from Pickering to Beaverton to Bowmanville
Published March 31, 2023 at 11:17 am
With transgender people – particularly youth – in the spotlight of late, the timing of Transgender Day of Visibility in the Region of Durham is appropriate and welcomed across each municipality.
Durham Chair John Henry said Transgender Day of Visibility is dedicated to recognizing the “many achievements of transgender, two-spirit and non-binary people” and to “celebrate their vibrancy and resilience.”
Henry said in a statement that visibility has the potential to be “truly transformative” and seeing others with shared experiences can help trans and gender-diverse people understand and affirm their own identities. “It is a vital reminder that they are not alone,” he said.
Visibility can also be a tool for social change, he added. “Creating space for gender-diverse people to live openly and to tell their own stories can de-stigmatize trans identities and contribute to greater understanding of trans experiences. This understanding is essential to combating transphobia.”
Henry also acknowledged there is still much work to be done. “Transgender, two-spirit and non-binary people continue to experience discrimination in employment, education, health care and housing. They are also often victims of bullying, harassment and violence,” he noted, adding that there needs to be a commitment to “challenging transphobia and all forms of gender-based discrimination” and dismantling the structures that “perpetuate these inequities.”
Durham and its member municipalities “reaffirm” their pledge to fostering a more “equitable and inclusive community” for all residents of Durham Region, he said.
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“We also ask that you join us in celebrating the strength and resilience of transgender, two-spirit and non-binary people, amplifying trans voices and uplifting trans communities, today and every day.”
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