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Advocating for and Protecting All Women: Trans Day of Visibility 2025

March 31 marks both Trans Day of Visibility and the end of Women’s History Month. Now more than ever, it is vital that we fight for the rights and protection of all women, especially as reproductive freedom and the rights of transgender people continue to be attacked. NASTAD’s core values are the belief that every person has equal value and dignity, that access to quality healthcare is a basic human right, and that we have an obligation to dismantle systems that perpetuate injustice.  

The right to bodily autonomy is at the core of HIV advocacy and health justice. NASTAD’s current Chair’s Challenge, Black Women and BIPOC Leaders: Breaking Barriers and Building Bridges, was born out of a desire to center the needs and contributions of underserved women who are disproportionately impacted by these epidemics. This effort recognizes the multifaceted struggles faced by all Black women. To provide equitable care, recognizing differences in lived experience that impact one’s ability to navigate health care systems are crucial. Ensuring that the voices, histories, and achievements of all women included in the broader conversation about women’s rights and health care access strengthens our work in the movement for gender equality and health equity.  

In May 2023, NASTAD published a statement affirming that trans rights are human rights and recognizing transphobia and homophobia a public health crisis. In the two years since that statement, the legislative landscape has become increasingly hostile. The Movement Advancement Project has developed LGBTQ Equality Maps that track laws and policies on a state-by-state basis. Trans Day of Visibility is both an opportunity for calls to action that highlight the urgent dangers facing transgender and gender-diverse people and a moment to recognize the resilience, power, and strength of the community. Visibility goes beyond the simple act of seeing; it also calls for recognition and respect. Visibility alone is not enough. True progress requires action – action to dismantle systems of oppression, action to amplify marginalized voices, and action to create spaces that are truly equitable, inclusive, and affirming. 

Though trans people are hyper-visible in the media, many sources cover trans stories without giving the community a platform to share their experiences. This results in distorted and inaccurate coverage that furthers the marginalization of transgender and gender-diverse people. To honor Trans Day of Visibility, GLAAD has compiled a comprehensive list of resources to counter the deluge of misinformation that is currently dominating the media and political landscape. On this last day of Women’s History Month, we must work to educate ourselves and others to fight misinformation, advocate for the safety and protection of all women, and make our voices heard. 

Resources 

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