BY: JESSICA POINTON

International Transgender Day of Visibility (TDOV) is an annual event held on March 31. This significant date was founded in 2010 by the head of Transgender Michigan, Rachel Crandall, to recognize the trans community and the successes of trans people. This day serves to highlight the importance of advocating for trans issues. The term trans may include those who identify as non-binary, genderqueer, or gender non-conforming for inclusion.

An essential part of raising awareness for TDOV is to amplify the voices of trans people to shed light on the discrimination and prejudice they experience here in Downsview, Toronto, and worldwide. As an equity-deserving group, the contributions of trans people should be acknowledged and shared in a meaningful way throughout the year. As on other holidays, local organizations, including schools, businesses of all sizes, and all levels of government, should engage their staff on the impact of observing this date and the issues that need addressing through education.

When it comes to pronouns and how people identify themselves, it is often best to let people tell you who they are, which includes their names or the labels they use. By providing a safe space to be informed instead of assuming, we can create openness and a level of comfortability for people to be themselves in an authentic way. You can clarify by asking what someone's name is, but how someone identifies themselves is a personal matter, not a debate. TDOV reminds us all that trans rights are human rights. The voices of trans people should always be heard, respected, and factored into discussions around social justice.

Those who want to learn more about TDOV can visit torontopflag.org, the519.org, and ctys.org for lists of resources for individuals and families. There are direct supports available for trans people on those websites as well to provide ways to connect with others in the 2SLGTBQ+ community.