Today, President Joe Biden made a proclamation honoring Transgender Day of Visibility. He became the first president to do so.Transgender Day of Visibility is a time to celebrate the strides the transgender community has made over the years, while also recognizing the struggles and sacrifices that trans people still face today.
In Biden’s official proclamation he stated, “Today, we honor and celebrate the achievements and resiliency of transgender individuals and communities. Transgender Day of Visibility recognizes the generations of struggle, activism, and courage that have brought our country closer to full equality for transgender and gender non-binary people in the United States and around the world.”
He then went on to say, “In spite of our progress in advancing civil rights for LGBTQ+ Americans, too many transgender people — adults and youth alike — still face systemic barriers to freedom and equality. Transgender Americans of all ages face high rates of violence, harassment, and discrimination. Nearly one in three transgender Americans have experienced homelessness at some point in life. Transgender Americans continue to face discrimination in employment, housing, health care, and public accommodations. The crisis of violence against transgender women, especially transgender women of color, is a stain on our Nation’s conscience.”
And while President Biden’s words can’t erase the scars of generations of oppression, they can offer hope. Hope that the trans community is becoming more visible. That their oppression, struggle, and courage is finally being recognized by America on a broader scale.
In his proclamation, Biden went on to discuss the measures he’s taken to protect the trans community, including his day-one Executive Order to have LGBTQ people protected under the umbrella of civil rights in federal spaces. He then went on to state the importance of the Equality Act and how, if passed, it will offer broader protections to LGBTQ people.
Towards the end of his proclamation, Biden went on to offer a joyous declaration making National Trans Day of Visibility an officially recognized event. Biden states, “NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim March 31, 2021, as Transgender Day of Visibility. I call upon all Americans to join in the fight for full equality for all transgender people.”
