#Won’tBeErased: The Ongoing Importance of 2STGNC+ Visibility
Written by Genevieve Balivet
Each year, we celebrate Transgender Day of Visibility (TDOV) on March 31st. It was created in 2010 by Rachel Crandall-Crocker, founder of advocacy group Transgender Michigan, in celebration of the lives of 2STGNC+ (Two Spirit, transgender, and gender nonconforming+) people. TDOV is as much a day of advocacy as of celebration, reinforcing the importance of 2STGNC+ visibility. However, with rising awareness of the 2STGNC+ community, people may wonder why “visibility” matters, what it accomplishes, or even what it is.
Why 2STGNC+ visibility matters is especially apparent this year: the community is facing a barrage of institutional attacks. From President Trump’s executive order to remove gender identity from government documents to the Michigan bill to ban trans athletes (HB4031), policies are trying to push 2STGNC+ people out of public spaces. Most recently, the Stonewall National Monument, which commemorates the 1969 Stonewall Uprising, has removed all references of 2STGNC+ people from its website. It now only refers to “the LGB movement.” Even in a monument meant to commemorate the queer community’s progress, 2STGNC+ people are being erased. 2STGNC+ visibility is needed to fight back and protect their well-being and rights.
What is 2STGNC+ Visibility?
2STGNC+ visibility is more than the simple fact of 2STGNC+ people’s existence. It reaches further to encompass both acknowledgement and affirmation of that existence. Some transphobic people and institutions refuse to acknowledge 2STGNC+ people’s presence; they deadname and misgender people as though this deliberate ignoring will make the community vanish. However, a more subtle form of transphobia can be dismissing 2STGNC+ identities as immaterial, no different from cisgender identities. This can appear in phrases like, “I see the person underneath the gender stuff; we’re all human, after all.” This diminishes the ways 2STGNC+ people experience the world differently and minimizes the struggles they may face as a result. True visibility is to fully acknowledge 2STGNC+ people, to completely see them and to see them as complete.
Additionally, 2STGNC+ visibility includes validating 2STGNC+ experiences. Institutions and individuals alike often frame transness/gender nonconformity as a disease, a lifestyle choice, or a malicious ideology. While it acknowledges the community, it claims they are flawed or fundamentally wrong. It implies that though 2STGNC+ people exist, they don’t deserve to exist. In contrast, 2STGNC+ visibility means understanding and affirming transness/gender nonconformity as a way of being, just as valid and beautiful as being cis. Visibility is basic human respect, and it is the gateway to many other forms of affirming and supporting 2STGNC+ people.
The Power of 2STGNC+ Visibility
While it’s a simple thing, visibility is mighty. It has the power to positively impact both individuals and the community. Visibility can produce self-discovery, safe spaces, and support networks for 2STGNC+ people. Awareness and understanding of labels means more people have language to name their feelings and easier access to the community. Rather than feeling broken or abnormal, they may find it easier to embrace themselves. Additionally, visibility normalizes transness/gender nonconformity, meaning friends, relatives, and neighbors are more likely to be accepting. This can make coming out and being out easier.
On a larger scale, visibility enables us to protect the community. If 2STGNC+ people are widely accepted, institutions can’t villainize, mistreat, and disenfranchise them as easily. Even in the midst of active attempts to do so, visibility still has power: it helps us organize and defend 2STGNC+ rights. It raises awareness of the community’s struggles, urging queer people and allies into action. As it grows, more people can join the fight. Visibility is a powerful tool to build solidarity with the 2STGNC+ community. And because of its power, it is needed more than ever in the face of attempted erasure and violence.
How to Support 2STGNC+ Visibility
2STGNC+ visibility isn’t something any of us can produce alone. It’s a community effort. However, here are some ways you can contribute:
Learn about 2STGNC+ identities and issues. If you don’t know much about the topic, this is a great place to start. Learn from 2STGNC+ creators and trustworthy organizations such as The Trevor Project or the Human Rights Campaign.
Include where others exclude. Often 2STGNC+ experiences are ignored (intentionally or unintentionally) in important discussions. Casually inserting such experiences back into conversation is a simple way to combat these everyday forms of erasure. For example, a person might reference pregnancy as an experience only women have. A response could be to add that non-women with uteruses, including trans men and nonbinary people, can also be pregnant. This is a small but effective way to prevent 2STGNC+ people from being excluded.
Support 2STGNC+ art and artists. There are a lot of amazing artists creating content that embodies 2STGNC+ experiences. Check them out and share them with family and friends. We have a post here with some great recommendations!
Donate or volunteer. 2STGNC+-supportive organizations provide care and advocacy where individuals may feel unsafe to do so. OACFP is one of them! You can donate or volunteer to help us support 2STGNC+ people in Ottawa County.
Join the fight. For a more hands-on approach, you can call or write representatives to combat anti-2STGNC+ bills on the state and federal level and attend protests. This keeps 2STGNC+ people visible on a public scale.
The world may feel overwhelming and bleak right now, but there is hope. OACFP and queer communities across the country are fighting back. Together, we can ensure 2STGNC+ people won't be erased.
