Today, HRC is celebrating International Transgender Day of Visibility. Held annually on March 31, International Transgender Day of Visibility is a time to celebrate transgender people around the globe and acknowledge the courage it takes to live openly and authentically. Advocates also use the day to raise awareness around discrimination and violence that trans people still face.

“Every year, we join together for International Transgender Day of Visibility to celebrate the diversity, resilience, and progress of the trans community and rededicate ourselves to the unfinished work of equality,” said HRC President Chad Griffin. “Increasingly, transgender kids growing up throughout America and around the world are seeing themselves reflected on stage and screen, in workplaces and politics. Unfortunately, for all of the advancements of the last several years, many transgender people, particularly transgender women of color, continue to face violence, discrimination, and an onslaught of political attacks from state legislatures to the highest levels of our government.”

Griffin continued, “On this day and every day, we continue to stand with transgender people of all backgrounds — from service members and students, to workers and parents — in celebration of their lives and with unwavering commitment for the fight for full equality.”

Yesterday, HRC released a groundbreaking report underscoring the urgent need for inclusive employer-paid family and medical leave for transgender and non-binary workers. In addition to releasing the report, HRC is also marking International Transgender Day of Visibility on its social media platforms, highlighting dozens of transgender people living visibly and raising up testimonials from trans youth on the power of visibility in living their truths and dreaming big dreams. Follow along here this evening.

Later today, HRC National Press Secretary Sarah McBride will participate with Equality NC in a conversation at Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill about her memoir, "Tomorrow Will Be Different," which chronicles her life as a young transgender activist.

HRC on Thursday also hosted at its headquarters a screening of the documentary “In Full Bloom: Transcending Gender,"which follows the personal stories of several trans individuals and activists in Los Angeles while organizing and performing a play about trans community, experiences, and visibility. Cast members Jazzmun Crayton, Maria Roman and Destin Cortez attended the screening, and participated in a panel discussion, along with  Zackary Drucker from the hit Amazon series, “Transparent.” The event was co-hosted by the Asian Pacific AIDS Intervention Team (APAIT), HIPS, National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC), National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE), National Queer API Alliance (NQAPIA), and TransLatin@ Coalition.