Action in defense of trans lives is an essential part of all movements for justice.
Join us this week and always.
The time for mass mobilization in defense of trans lives is now. Trans youth are under attack in states across the country. As efforts to criminalize trans bodies escalate, so must our resistance.
This year, Trans Week of Visibility + Action is fundraising with a goal of $50,000 for Gender Liberation Movement + Trans Youth Emergency Project.
Help us reach our goal and make a contribution.
Trans Week of Visibility + Action is a project of Gender Liberation Movement.
What’s going on?
From March 25 to March 31 we are launching a digital mobilization campaign to build power and support for trans young people and the organizers and communities fighting alongside them.
More than 500 anti-LGBTQ bills have been introduced across the country, the vast majority attacking trans youth. From threatening to criminalize health care to investigating families for affirming their children to banning trans youth from school activities, these bills represent a threat to trans survival.
Visibility alone won’t save us, take action!
Learn
There are over 500 bills pending in state legislatures across the United States that would ban health care for trans minors, ban trans women and girls from sports, ban trans people from restrooms, and ban schools and school staff from educating about history.
Why are
these bills dangerous?
These bills are just one part of a fascist global campaign to silence, erase, and harm trans, gender nonconforming, and nonbinary people.
They are not about protecting women or children, but about expanding state power and control and limiting bodily autonomy and self-determination.
Action in defense of trans lives is an essential part of all movements for justice.
Join us this week and always.
Act now
Opponents of trans justice and survival are fixated on us and we need our accomplices to mobilize with us.
This week we’ll be diving deep on this national strategy against the trans community.
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TRANS HISTORY IS POWER
From Indigenous Two-Spirit traditions to Lucy Hicks Anderson, from the Compton’s Cafeteria riot to Stonewall, trans people have always been part of history—leading movements, shaping culture, and fighting for liberation.
WHY IS OUR HISTORY IMPORTANT?
Trans people aren’t just part of history—we are the cultural architects of resistance and reinvention. From the ballroom scenes that birthed voguing to the underground zines that pushed queer theory forward, trans and nonbinary people have shaped movements, aesthetics, and radical thought for generations.
We’ve been at the frontlines of labor movements, feminist organizing, and racial justice struggles.
In pop culture, we set the trends—from drag culture to fashion to music. They steal our language, our style, our art—but they can’t erase the brilliance that fuels it.
WHAT CAN YOU DO?✸ DEMAND lawmakers OPPOSE efforts to erase our history.
✸ EDUCATE family, friends, and communities on the rich history of trans people and culture.
✸ ELEVATE trans writers, historians, and storytellers who keep our history alive.
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TRANS HEALTH IS POWER
HEALTH CARE BANS police access to gender-affirming health care for trans folks, especially youth. They restrict bodily autonomy for everyone and strengthen attacks on abortion and contraception.
At least 27 states have passed partial or full bans on health care for trans young people. The Supreme Court of the United States took up the Skirmetti vs. USA case, a challenge to Tenessee’s healthcare ban. The decision, which is to come this summer, will have far-reaching implications to access to gender-affirming care.
WHAT IS GENDER-AFFIRMING CARE?
Any treatment that affirms a person’s gender identity. For trans people, it may include access to hormone therapy and surgery. But gender-affirming care also includes things like social transition, therapy, and other non-medical support. Every major U.S. medical association supports this care, and it is life-saving to many trans people.
Cis people are the largest consumers of gender-affirming care as many opt for hormonal therapy and common cosmetic procedures for gender affirmation. The double standard is that this care is normalized for cis folks and criminalized for trans folks.
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
✸ DEMAND lawmakers to VOTE NO on healthcare bans.
✸ EDUCATE family, friends, and circles on the importance of gender-affirming care.
✸ ELEVATE gender-affirming care funds and efforts like the Trans Youth Emergency Project.
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BAN BATHROOM BIGOTRY, NOT BATHROOM ACCESS
Bathrooms aren’t a side issue; they’re a battleground for trans existence.
Today’s attacks on trans people’s right to use the restroom aren’t new—they follow a long history of discrimination disguised as “safety” concerns. The fight for inclusive bathrooms is part of the larger struggle for equality and dignity for all.
From the Jim Crow era where Black Americans were forced to use separate bathrooms to the bans on bathroom access today for trans folks: we see these connections throughout history and know that banning bathrooms is not about safety but about naming a group of people as inferior.
WHY IS BATHROOM ACCESS IMPORTANT?
Denying bathroom access is an inroad to a larger anti-trans project to remove trans people from public spaces. Under the guise of “safety” for women and children, transphobes are trying to keep trans people from moving throughout society with the dignity + safety afforded to every cis person.
We cannot stand idly by while these steps to eliminate trans people move forward.
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
✸ DEMAND lawmakers to VOTE NO on bathroom bills.
✸ EDUCATE family, friends, and those in your networks about why bathroom access is important.
✸ TAKE ACTION: make your voice heard and flyer spaces that need to hear “Trans people deserve to use restrooms here.”
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DIVERSITY, EQUITY, & INCLUSION IS ABOUT TRANS PEOPLE TOO
Right-wing politicians and greedy corporations are gutting Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI) programs, calling them “woke” or “divisive.” But the REAL reason? They don’t want workplaces where trans, queer, Black, and marginalized workers can actually thrive.
WHY IS DEI IMPORTANT?
Workplaces thrive when they’re diverse and reflective of the rest of the country. It broadens the experience of the workforce and creates a more accepting and inclusive environment.
Without DEI, trans and nonbinary people are pushed further to the margins, making it even harder to secure stable jobs, housing, and healthcare.
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
✸ CALL OUT companies that are rolling back their DEI efforts & explore using your purchasing power elsewhere.
✸ EDUCATE family, friends, and circles on why inclusive hiring policies benefit trans people and the harms of workplace discrimination.
✸ ELEVATE trans-owned companies and trans-led organizations.
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ABORTION IS GENDER-AFFIRMING CARE
Having an abortion as a trans or gender non-conforming person comes with a lot to navigate. From gender dysphoria to being misgendered in the clinic setting or having a complicated relationship with medical systems due to racism and transphobia. A lot of people seeking abortions can feel isolated and alone. But it doesn’t have to be that way. We can create a supportive community where every abortion seeker feels safe getting abortion care and sharing their experiences.
REPRO RIGHTS ARE TRANS RIGHTS
Abortion care is about dignity, respect, and freedom from judgment, but that’s not always the case for trans and gender non-conforming people. Accessing abortion care today is already a challenging landscape characterized by legal restrictions, limited availability of services, and stigmatization. Even worse, Trans and gender non-conforming people often encounter hostile environments where their gender identity is not respected, leading to further distress and reluctance to seek care.
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
✸ USE inclusive language when talking about reproductive health care and abortion.
✸ EDUCATE family, friends, and circles on trans masculine and non-binary experiences with pregnancy.
✸ ELEVATE trans abortion storytellers
GET CONNECTED
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TRANS MIGRANT JUSTICE
Trans immigrants face unique challenges at the intersection of gender identity and immigration status. Many struggle with legal barriers, such as mismatched IDs and delays in asylum claims based on gender identity. In detention, they often face transphobic abuse, denial of healthcare, and solitary confinement. Despite these challenges, many trans immigrants build strong networks and become fierce advocates for change for their communities.
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
✸ DEMAND lawmakers fight back against the violent deportation plans.
✸ EDUCATE family, friends, colleagues, and communities on the unique experiences of trans migrants.
✸ ELEVATE organizers and organizations working to fight back.
GET CONNECTED
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TRANS FUTURES ARE BRIGHT
Trans Day of Visibility allows us to embrace ourselves defiantly and unapologetically. Although there are numerous attacks against us, as our history shows, we will perservere. Our joy, celebration, and love provides a window into our future world where everyone is less crushed by gendered expectations that harm and limut us all.
As trans youth show us, the upcoming generations of trans people will transform the world. We must plant seeds for future generations of queer and trans people to know their power.
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
✸ DEMAND lawmakers to draft legislation that defends, empowers, and protects trans people, especially youth.
✸ EDUCATE family, friends, colleagues, and communities on dismantling the gender binary and fighting for the liberation of all genders.
✸ ELEVATE initiatives and organizations led by and centering trans people.
✸ PROTEST anti-trans legislation, policies, and figures.
✸ TRANSFORM all the institutions that you enter: Organizations, schools, places of worship, workplaces, and more. Make sure that they are respecting the dignity of trans people.
✸ EMPOWER the youth to live authentically and not with shame about the qualities that make them beautifully unique.
SUPPORT
Contact your lawmakers
One critical action to take is to contact your state senator and representative and tell them to vote NO on any anti-LGBTQ bills pending in your state.
Don’t know who your state reps are? That’s okay, most of us don’t. You can look them up based on your address here.
Confused about how government works? That is deliberate. Here is a primer on the branches of government.
It can be intimidating to contact your lawmaker if you never have before. We wrote some simple scripts you can use!
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Hi [lawmaker].
My name is [name] and I am one of your constituents. I know you are considering [bill number] that would ban trans kids from sports. All kids deserve to play alongside their peers. This type of legislation is harmful and stigmatizes an already vulnerable group of young people. As your constituent, I urge you to focus on real problems in our community and not target youth. Trans kids aren’t a threat but this type of legislation is. I urge you to vote NO on [bill number].
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Hi [lawmaker].
My name is [name] and I am one of your constituents. I know you are considering [bill number] that would ban cut trans youth off from life-affirming and at time, life-saving health care. The care that would be banned by [bill number] is health care supported by every major medical association in the United States. This type of legislation is harmful and stigmatizes an already vulnerable group of young people and risks serious, and even deadly, consequences. Additionally, this legislation is a dangerous intrusion into the parent-child and doctor-patient relationship. As your constituent, I urge you to focus on real problems in our community and not on solutions in search of problems. Leave the regulation and provision of this care to the doctors, parents and patients who are already managing it. I urge you to vote NO on [bill number].
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Hi [lawmaker].
My name is [name] and I am one of your constituents. I know you are considering [bill number] that would ban [trans kids/trans people] from restrooms. All kids deserve to go to school and have access to the same resources and facilities as their peers. If a child cannot use a restroom at school, they cannot go to school at all. This type of legislation is harmful and stigmatizes an already vulnerable group of young people. As your constituent, I urge you to focus on real problems in our community and not on solutions in search of problems. Trans people have been using the restroom for decades with no problems. Trans kids aren’t a threat but this type of legislation is. I urge you to vote NO on [bill number].
Contact your hospitals
Has your hospital preemptively complied with Trump’s unlawful Executive Orders? Call and/or email them demanding they don’t comply.
On March 4, a judge filed a preliminary injunction to Trump’s executive order threatening to pull federal funding to hospitals that provide gender-affirming care to young people 19 years old and younger. Hospitals and medical centers should continue to provide healthcare to trans young people.
Share
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Hello, my name is [Your Name], and I’m calling as a concerned [community member/health advocate/parent]. I want to thank [Hospital/Provider’s Name] for the critical healthcare services you provide and to urge you to continue offering gender-affirming care for young people."
"Gender-affirming care is life-saving, evidence-based, and supported by major medical organizations like the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Medical Association. Young people deserve access to the care they need, free from political interference. Removing or restricting these services puts lives at risk."
"I urge [Hospital/Provider’s Name] to continue providing gender-affirming care and commit to supporting transgender and nonbinary youth. Now more than ever, it’s essential to stand with patients, families, and medical experts in protecting access to necessary healthcare."If Speaking to a Provider or Administrator:
"Can you confirm that [Hospital/Provider’s Name] remains committed to offering this care?"
"How can the community support you in ensuring young people continue receiving the medical care they need?"
"Thank you for your time and for the work you do. I appreciate your commitment to ethical, patient-centered care and hope to see [Hospital/Provider’s Name] continue to stand with trans youth."
DONATE
This year, Trans Week of Visibility + Action is fundraising with a goal of $50,000 for Gender Liberation Movement + Trans Youth Emergency Project.
SUPPORT
The impact of fighting these anti-trans bills and policies is felt all year by trans people, their families and loved ones. To build long-term and sustainable movements for trans justice, continue to support organizations around the country.
ABOUT
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In 2021, Chase Strangio (civil rights attorney) and Raquel Willis (activist and writer) launched Trans Week of Visibility and Action (TWOVA) to digitally mobilize the masses to confront the ever-increasing legislative attacks against the transgender community, specifically youth. In 2025, TWOVA became a project of Gender Liberation Movement.
The week enhanced the lead up to Transgender Day of Visibility (March 31) by inserting direct action and political education into the menu of ways that the community can show up for each other and allies can join in the fight for trans justice and liberation.
Strangio and Willis believe that visibility must be accompanied by action and power building for communities because so often increased visibility leads to more precarious material conditions for the most vulnerable members of our community. In the midst of aggressive attacks on trans youth in legislatures across the country accompanied by sweeping voter suppression measures, anti-abortion laws and attacks on historically accurately curricula, TWOVA aims to mobilize trans and allied communities towards local action and power building.
The larger Trans Week Project aims to build different weeks of action, connection, rest, and resources over the course of the year to contend with the world around us and give us the tools to care for each other as we always have when the government and society at large fails us.
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A brief history of the criminalization of trans lives and trans resistance
Transgender, gender nonconforming, and nonbinary people have been consistently profiled and criminalized throughout United States history. In fact, many of our earliest records of gender nonconforming individuals are within the carceral system. From Mary Jones and Frances Thompson to Lucy Hicks Anderson and Billy Tipton, our people have always found ways to survive in a society that has never wanted us to exist.
In considering the seminal event of the Stonewall Riots, we must acknowledge that those who were most at risk (and most involved) during the riots were gender nonconforming and trans. We would not have the current cultural, social, and political landscape without the bravery of TGNC figures like Marsha P. Johnson, Zazu Nova, Miss Major, Sylvia Rivera, Pauli Murray and Storme Delarverie. Despite the fact that LGBTQ+ folks have largely been discriminated against for not adhering to cisheteronormative patriarchal standards, the fight for our community almost singularly came to center on the plight of those in similar-gender relationships.
In the aftermath of the Supreme Court’s 2015 decision to strike down bans on marriage equality (Obergefell v. Hodges), the backlash from conservatives swiftly and aggressively began to target trans people. The next year, state legislatures around the country began introducing bills to restrict the rights and survival opportunities of trans people, specifically youth in schools. Since then, the number and breadth of these bills has grown substantially—hitting a fever pitch last year.
In 2022, a majority of bills targeting trans people focus on: banning healthcare, restricting restroom access, criminalizing adults (including parents, school staff, and healthcare professionals) for supporting youth, and prohibiting inclusion of trans women and girls (and in some cases all trans people) in sports.
This escalation is not an end but a continuation of a long history of state control over gender-variant bodies that has been a central tool and organizing principle of white supremacy and patriarchal dominance. This is a fight for trans justice but it is a fight for justice more broadly.
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