Submitted by Melanie (she/her), SEIU-West Gender & Sexual Diversity Committee Recording Secretary
International Transgender Day of Visibility is on March 31, 2024, and is about raising awareness about Transgender people and celebrating them.
This March I attended the TransSask TransPrairie Wellness Summit and it was amazing. It was a two day event packed with sessions celebrating Trans and Non-Binary folk. It was a wealth of information, as well as networking opportunities, affirmation and validation that human bodies, hearts and minds do not belong in tidy boxes. We transcend boxes and binaries and that is so beautiful. Please check out the link to TransSask below and check them out! I am currently reading through their 2022 Community Report titled So They Know We’re Here.
There are so many amazing Trans and Non-Binary people out there. I made a lot of new friends at the Summit. Lovely, dynamic people. I enjoyed connecting with such vibrant, unique individuals. Below, I will highlight a few Trans people of note. But there are many Trans and Non-binary people in your own communities doing amazing things every day! Watch for them and celebrate them too. Open your mind to what life looks like beyond the false binaries that we are sold by patriarchy and colonialism.
Miss Major - During the Summit there was a free screening of the documentary Major! Which told the story about Miss Major Griffin-Gracy. Major has spent her life helping many marginalized people including Trans people in prison, and doing HIV/AIDS outreach work. She is notorious for being a crazy driver and also a radical force for good in her community and in general. She has survived imprisonment, abuse, and harassment. She was present during the Stonewall Uprising. She has lived through all sorts of trauma and hard times, but she just keeps going, being her amazing, sassy, loving self.
Angel Maxine - I love pop culture and I love seeing positive representation of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community in pop culture. One person I love in the music sphere is Angel Maxine. She is a Ghanaian Transgender Woman who has created waves with her music. Some of my favourite songs are “Wofie” and “Kill The Bill”. She is an activist and uses her songs to advocate for human rights.
Elliot Page – Elliot is a Canadian actor and producer. He is talented, articulate, and an activist. He is a Transgender Man who has accomplished so much and he isn’t even 40. He has acted in numerous films and has won many awards for his acting. Elliot is an inspiration to many.
Trans and Non-Binary people experience a disproportionate amount of hate, and violence. That is a tragedy. It is important to acknowledge this reality, but International Transgender Day of Visibility is about celebrating their beauty and bravery as they live outside of the boxes we are told to exist in.
Here are a few local resources:
| Term | Definition |
| 2SLGBTQIA+ |
This acronym is meant to encompass and be inclusive of the Queer Community. The specific letters in the acronym mean: 2Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual The + includes Pansexual, Agender, Gender Queer, Questioning, and other terms which are evolving and emerging. |
Additional definitions, information, and resources can be found on the Gender and Sexual Diversity Committee page on our website, including this Gender and Sexual Diversity Glossary published by the Government of Canada.