Image courtesy: GLAAD.

Women’s History Month drew to a close March 31, a day also recognized as Transgender Day of Visibility. GLAAD marker the occasion with an open letter created in collaboration with Raquel Willis, pledging solidarity with trans women and girls worldwide.

At the time of this writing, 465 feminist leaders had signed on, including notables such as:

  • Director and actor Regina King 
  • Author and global health advocate Chelsea Clinton
  • Actor and transgender advocate Laverne Cox
  • Singer Selena Gomez
  • Feminist journalist Gloria Steinem

“Trans women and girls have been an integral part of the fight for gender liberation,” reads an excerpt from the letter.

“We uphold that truth and denounce the ongoing anti-transgender rhetoric and efforts we witness in various industries.”

The letter was penned in response to a barrage of anti-trans legislation and attacks facing the trans community, including a March 29 announcement that Arkansas has become the first U.S. state to ban healthcare for trans youth.

In the summer of 2020, Black trans lives matter protests drew huge crowds in parts of the U.S.

According to the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), at least 44 trans and gender non-conforming people in the U.S. were violently killed in the U.S. in 2020.

In 2019, the organization tracked 26 murders.

HRC says that 91 per cent of the reported murders of trans and gender non-conforming people in 2019 were Black, and 81 per cent were under the age of 30.

But the number of actual deaths is likely higher, as violence against trans men and women is often unreported or misreported due to authorities, media reports, and family members misidentifying the deceased, the campaign says.

“We all must fight against the unnecessary and unethical barriers placed on trans women and girls by lawmakers and those who co-opt the feminist label in the name of division and hatred,” GLAAD says in its letter.

“Our feminism must be unapologetically expansive so that we can leave the door open for future generations.”

Read GLAAD’s open letter supporting trans women and girls here.