‘I own my gender identity, and no one can take that away from me.’

When you look at me, you assume I’m a woman. When I walk into work, you call me a lady. When I go to a restaurant, you point me to the female bathrooms. When I book a haircut, you ask me to select a gender. You misgender me every day because we live in a society that determines our gender from the moment that we are assigned sex at birth.

That’s why International Transgender Day of Visibility is so important. On 31 March each year, Trans Day of Visibility celebrates trans pride and awareness, recognising trans and gender diverse experiences and achievements. It creates a safe space for our community. It gives us a platform to share stories and start conversations about the barriers we face.