From left to right: Grace Bacon, Susan Crocker, Rachel Crandall Crocker and state Rep. Emily Dievendorf (D-Lansing) celebrate Transgender Day of Visibility at the Avenue Café in Lansing on March 31, 2023.
LANSING, Mich., April 6, 2023 — Activists and advocates rallied at the Capitol steps on March 31 to celebrate Transgender Day of Visibility.
“Transgender Day of Visibility was founded in 2009 by my friend Rachel Crandall Crocker, a social worker, when she saw the need for a day to acknowledge and celebrate members of the trans community outside of days like Transgender Remembrance Day,” said state Rep. Emily Dievendorf (D-Lansing), who is the only nonbinary member of the Michigan Legislature and is working on a package of bills to strengthen protections for transgender and nonbinary communities. “Transgender Day of Visibility offers us a reminder to appreciate, honor, enjoy and revel in all we can accomplish together.”
Transgender Day of Visibility celebrates the courage it takes to live openly and authentically, provides an occasion to share personal stories, and supports awareness and education about transgender, nonbinary, genderfluid, and gender nonconforming communities.
“I would like to thank all the trans people and allies who have organized and participated in all the Transgender Day of Visibility celebrations and events around the world throughout the last fourteen years,” Rachel Crandall Crocker said. “Every year only gets bigger and better.”
Outside of this special day, the founder of Transgender Day of Visibility, Rachel Crandall Crocker, and her partner, Susan Crocker, EA, have done and continue to do barrier-breaking advocacy for the transgender community. The duo founded Transgender Michigan in 1997 as an online hub for Michigan events and resources supporting the transgender community. Transgender Michigan works to educate Michigan about variation in gender expression and identity, provide support for gender-diverse individuals, and advocate for equality, social justice, and inclusion of transgender, gender nonconforming individuals and their communities. Transgender Michigan is also responsible for establishing the first trans helpline in the U.S. and has expanded over the years to provide a variety of essential services, as well as unlimited unconditional love and acceptance.
Trans advocates and allies are already planning a rally at the Capitol for next year’s Transgender Day of Visibility, which will mark its 15th anniversary.