International Transgender Day of Visibility 2025: Celebrating and recognizing our transgender community
March 24, 2025 2:21 PM
by Patricia Garza
International Transgender Day of Visibility, or TDOV, celebrates and acknowledges the contributions of transgender, nonbinary and gender-expansive folks in our community and shines a light on the historic and current ways that we navigate and continue to face discrimination worldwide. TDOV was started in 2009 by trans woman Rachel Crandall Crocker in Michigan and is observed annually across the world on March 31.
Diversity, equity and inclusion are values city staff applies to all our work, and the city’s LGBTQ+ employee affinity group, Out in Santa Monica, or OiSM, has organized staff trainings this month so that we can continue to cultivate a culture of equity, inclusion and belonging for everyone in the Santa Monica community.
OiSM in collaboration with the Santa Monica Public Library and city partners invite the community to participate in a slate of activities to honor the importance of this Transgender Day of Visibility.
Library display and book lists
There are books by transgender, non-binary and gender non-conforming authors for readers of all ages on display in the Main Library throughout the month of March. And the Staff Picks book lists offer readings that explore the experiences of transgender, gender non-conforming and non-binary people.
Transgender Day of Visibility Proclamation
Tuesday, March 25, 4:30 p.m., Council Chambers
At the City Council meeting on March 25, Sydney Rogers, vice chair of the Los Angeles County LGBTQ+ Commission and program manager for the Trans Economic Empowerment Project at the Los Angeles LGBT Center — also widely known as Miss Barbie-Q — will read the proclamation she wrote in honor of Transgender Day of Visibility.
Sydney Rogers is a visionary leader, advocate and artist whose work bridges economic justice, trans liberation and the arts. As a Black trans femme with over 30 years in performance and community organizing, Rogers has mastered the art of storytelling, movement-building and transformative leadership. Her work spans stages, boardrooms and policy spaces — proving that advocacy and artistry are not separate but deeply intertwined.
Filming Screening: “Will & Harper”
Saturday, March 29, 1-3 p.m., Church in Ocean Park, 235 Hill St.
“Will and Harper” is a love letter to the power of strong friendships. Harper re-enters society with the support of her friend after transitioning as an older woman in the current, anti-trans political climate. Donations are highly encouraged at the event, which is a fundraiser to support the work of the TransLatin@ Coalition, which has been advocating for, empowering, and providing direct support to trans, Gender Expansive, and Intersex communities since 2009.
Support Trans Equity with our partnership with Trans Economic Empowerment Project
Created in 2021, the Trans Equity Scholarship goes directly to the Trans Wellness Center/Trans Economic Empowerment Project, which is under the umbrella of city partner the L.A. LGBT Center. These scholarships assist those seeking to officially change their name and gender marker with the state, a process that can cost over $600 (compared with as little as $15 for those changing their name at marriage). In collaboration with legal aid groups that offer name and gender change clinics, these scholarships make a real difference for those seeking to take this step. (To ensure that your donation is used for Trans Equity Scholarships, click “Yes, please” under the “Dedicate this Donation” header and write “Trans Equity” in the first name field and “Scholarship” in the last name field.)
We thank you for remembering the importance of fostering a more inclusive community for all of us! To be seen, recognized and celebrated for all of who we are is truly a move toward our collective wellbeing as a thriving city!
Authored By
Patricia Garza
Cultural Affairs Supervisor