The Transgender Day of Visibility is observed worldwide each year on March 31, with this year’s observance holding all the more importance given intensifying vitriol and attacks against trans people led by a vocal but loud minority that includes President Trump and many in his administration.
As GLAAD reports: “We are seeing a continued year-over-year increase in anti-LGBTQ bills, including more than 450 anti-LGBTQ bills introduced in state legislatures across the country, according to the American Civil Liberties Union. In addition to these legislative attacks, trans people continue to face direct physical violence, declared an ongoing epidemic by the American Medical Association since 2019, which disproportionately affects Black trans women. That’s why it’s still necessary for trans people to be seen through authentic, diverse, and accurate stories, which reflect the actual lived experiences of trans people, both for themselves and for the people who believe they’ve never met a trans person.”
GLAAD adds that trans people are often excluded in coverage by major news outlets.
“By excluding trans people in covering issues facing the community, including excluding knowledgeable experts who are trans, and by lacking trans representation in newsrooms to help guide coverage, anti-trans discrimination is often misrepresented in the news as a ‘culture clash’ and ‘just asking questions’ rather than as willful misinformation and targeted hate,” the organization shares. “This oversight has real implications that shape how Americans view and understand trans people.”
It is within this media and political landscape that the San Francisco Bay Times highlights Bay Area transgender leaders—those who are either presently or formerly based in this region who have made a significant beneficial impact on the transgender community and the LGBTQ+ community as a whole. Some are nonprofit leaders, while others are performers, healthcare professionals, artists, and more. The Bay Area transgender community evidences vibrant diversity in every respect, existing in stark contrast to the anti-DEI Trump administration.
Since the Transgender Day of Visibility was first established in 2010—by trans advocate Rachel Crandall, the head of Transgender Michigan—it has been observed both nationally and internationally. Many look to the San Francisco Bay Area, which still serves as a beacon of LGBTQ+ acceptance, particularly for those in countries where gender expression and same-sex activity are criminalized under the guise of “social cleansing” and public order offenses.
The Bay Times is therefore proud to honor local transgender leaders. There are many more not included in this issue, as volumes would be needed to do proper justice to these influential and powerful contributors to our quality of life here in Northern California. You can celebrate, in person, several such leaders and the transgender community at the San Francisco Trans Day of Visibility Celebration on March 30 (a day before the official observance) at The Green Room, 401 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco, from 6–9 pm.
For resources and a listing a additional related local events, go to:
https://bit.ly/4kWZpgl
To learn more about The Transgender Day of Visibility, visit: https://bit.ly/4iOEhY3
Honoring Bay Area Transgender Leaders
Published on March 27, 2025
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