Trans Day of Visibility

Details of activities

International Transgender Day of Visibility (TDOV) is an annual event on March 31 dedicated to celebrating transgender people and raising awareness of discrimination faced by transgender people worldwide, as well as a celebration of their contributions to society.

The day was founded by US-based transgender activist Rachel Crandall 2009 as a reaction to the lack of LGBT recognition of transgender people, citing the frustration that the only well-known transgender-centered day was the Transgender Day of Remembrance which mourned the murders of transgender people, but did not acknowledge and celebrate living members of the transgender community.

The first International Transgender Day of Visibility was held on March 31, 2009.

2023 Activities at UoM

Thursday March 30th 12-2pm in person: Trans Awareness Training (book via L&OD)

Monday April 3rd 4pm online: Rethinking Trans History with Dr Kit Heyam (book via Eventbrite)

Show Your Support

You can show your support to trans colleagues on TDOV by:

updating your pronouns on your signature and Zoom screen and your Teams profile
using a trans flag backdrop for your video calls on 31 March
completing the short Trans Awareness Training session
become an ALLOUT Ally - as part of this you can become a trans ally and collect your preferred lanyard (including trans colours). LGB+ members of ALLOUT can also become a trans ally via this route.
tweet your support using #TDOV2023 and tagging @UoMLGBT
be familiar with our policies, guidance and terminology
engage with the trans community and its diverse culture we've put together a handy list of links to films and also books podcasts famous trans activists:

Stonewall Resources and stories can be found via these links:

Films and TV

"A Short History of Trans People" Samy Nour Younes hosts this short TED Talk from New York addressing the question "why are trans people suddenly everywhere?" (2018) [6 minutes watch]
"I'm Not in Fancy Dress" A Real Stories Indie Doc about Drag Kings in the UK (2018) [9 minutes watch]
"Incoming Transmission" Animated short from trans children's experiences across Manchester (2021) [7 minutes watch]
"Transitioning Teens" Trans activist Charlie Craggs meets trans teens waiting to be seen by the NHS (2021) [43 minutes watch]

Podcasts

"What the Trans" UK-based news podcast hosted by self-proclaimed 'snarky' trans fact-finding duo Michelle and Ashleigh.
"The Trans Vibe Podcast" hosting a range of guests The Trans Vibe Podcast aims to educated and inspire.

Books

"Detransition Baby" Torrey Peters' National Bestseller where the lives of three women (transgender and cisgender) collide after an unexpected pregnancy.
"The Transgender Issue" Shon Faye's debut breaks down the debates and British media frenzy effecting the lives of trans people.

Trans Voices on Social Media

Charlie Craggs no longer a Twitter user Charlie Craggs uses Instagram to call out transphobes and share her projects which vary from her University enterprise 'Nail Transphobia' to her recent work fundraising for free self-defence classes for trans people.
Tanya Compas is a London based youth worker, queer gender fluid activist, and founder of Black LGBTQ+ youth charity Exist Loudly, which was established after raising £110,000 following the Black Lives Matter protests in 2020.
Jamie Windust made headlines in 2019 for petitioning the UK Parliament for gender-neutral passport options. Since then, Jamie has proven to be an award-winning writer and editor with pieces in The Independent, Gay Times, British GQ, Cosmopolitan and INTO More as well as their very own book "In Their Shoes".

*The University of Manchester cannot be held responsible for the content of external websites - if you have any concerns, please direct them to equalityanddiversity@manchester.ac.uk

2021 Highlights

The team from the Voice & Communication Team at the Indigo Gender Service (Nigel Cheng and Lizzie Jenner) provided a talk on speech and language therapy for trans and non-binary people in Greater Manchester. Lizzie is an alumnus of the speech and language degree programme here at The University of Manchester.

148 students from around the UK joined in and raised £223 for the LGBT Foundation.

The webinar video is available from the University of Manchester video portal here:

Video portal of The University of Manchester

My gender is, by KJ age 15

Winner of Transciptions (11-19s trans and non binary writing competition by The Proud Trust)

My gender is

A riddle that makes you laugh when you finish it

Because the answer was in front of you all the time.

My gender is

An ocean that people shy away from with fear

Although nothing’s as scary as driving the boat that capsizes in a storm.

My gender is

A dance where I can wear what suits my performance

But clothes won’t stop people saying my moves are wrong.

My gender is

A festival I can scream and cheer and sing my lungs out

And I have no regrets when I wake up with a sore throat.

My gender is

A coffee shop where one day I order an espresso

Then a week later, I’ll come back for hot chocolate.

My gender is

A movie Bright with technicolour and action

Never black and white.

My gender is

A lion whose roar scares and fascinates at the same time I am vulnerable without my pride.

My gender is

A zebra Though I seem to blend in with the crowd of black and white If you look closer, you’ll find that my stripes have never been seen before.

My gender is

A mountain Climbing takes determination, nothing but a faded map for guidance

But I have a team behind me, and soon the clouds will clear to show me the peak.

My gender is

A library somewhere full of stories and information about me Old labels gathering dust in the back of a shelf.

My gender is

A brick Thrown by the people like me, who began a movement

A symbol of a broken past being repaired.

My gender is Confusing Dangerous Beautiful Deafening Fluid Colourful Proud Unique Difficult Intriguing History in the making

My gender is not defined by what I wear

My gender is not defined by who I love

My gender is not my choice

My gender is Who I am.