International Transgender Day of Visibility event scheduled in Lansing this Friday
The Inclusivity Club of Kee High School in Lansing will host a community celebration of International Transgender Day of Visibility this Friday, March 31 from 5-6 p.m. at Lansing Office Works, 274 Main Street in Lansing. Following personal sharing by students, refreshments will be served. This event is free of charge and open to the public.
International Transgender Day of Visibility began in Michigan in 2009 and has grown to a global observance which honors the joy and resilience of transgender and nonbinary people. It also aims to raise awareness of discrimination faced by transgender people worldwide.
There are over 1.6 million transgender youth (age 13+) and adults across the United States. The Inclusivity Club shares that while there has been significant progress in recent years, with more visibility than ever before, the basic human rights of transgenders are under threat, especially for those under 18 years of age.
Transgender children in Iowa lost access to gender-affirming medical care in a bill recently passed by the Iowa Legislature and signed by Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds. There is research that demonstrates that this care greatly improves the mental health and overall well-being of gender diverse, transgender and nonbinary youth.
The Inclusivity Club further notes that it is well documented that transgender and nonbinary youth adolescents experience anxiety and depression at a much higher rate than their cisgender peers. According to The Trevor Project’s 2020 National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health, 54 percent of young people who identified as transgender or nonbinary reported having suicidal ideation in the last year, and 29 percent have attempted suicide. In contrast, numerous research studies have found that gender-affirming care leads to improved mental health among these young people.
The Inclusivity Club of Kee High School will be offering the event this Friday to create a safe space where transgender and nonbinary students can share their own personal experiences. The Club’s aim is to combat disinformation and discrimination impacting the local community and to inform allies how best to advocate on their behalf.
