March 31 was proclaimed “Transgender Day of Visibility” in the United States in 2009 by activist Rachel Crandall Crocker. It was officially recognized in 2021 by President Joe Biden. The purpose of the Day of Recognition is to raise awareness of the discrimination transgender people have faced for centuries and the hardships they still face to this day.

The organization Trans Empowerment Collective (TEC) and multiple others came together and hosted an event for Transgender Day of Visibility in Dallas Main Street Garden Park. Countless transgender people stood and shared their experiences, expressing their pain with a government that is supposed to be treating them as humans but is instead silencing them and removing their freedoms.

Donald J. Trump has returned to power and more and more transgender individuals are finding themselves in fear of being stripped of more of their Constitutional rights.

On January 27, President Trump issued an executive order that banned all transgender people from serving in the military. Multiple transgender individuals expressed their dislike and concern for this new law.

“I think it’s the first attempt of many to control and target trans people,” one guest said. Another expressed the risks this puts on many transgender soldiers. “There are so many people in the military who are already there, who are trans, who already have a bad experience …  when they just wanna live their own lives and serve their country,” another disappointed person said.

This nationwide implementation of discriminatory laws does not stop at the military ban. It has seeped into these trans people’s personal lives as well.

When asked, a 14-year-old transgender student had expressed feeling less safe at school, saying, “People at my school seem to be picking on me more … I feel more uneasy.” A separate attendee, Tyler, expressed this same worry, with additional anxiety regarding their medical health if they were forced to stop taking their hormones and other gender-affirming care. “I’m at risk of developing osteoporosis if I were to have stopped taking testosterone.” Many other transgender people haven’t even been allowed to begin medically transitioning in the first place, putting them in more danger of not being able to pass as their desired gender and being subjected to vicious prejudice.

To many, it is no surprise that Trump and other right-wing conservatives are becoming more outwardly expressive of their disdain against transgender people. But even other LGBTQ+ people have begun to abandon their support for the transgender community in the face of increased scrutiny, despite their importance to the history of the movement for LGBTQ+ rights.

In 1969, a series of raids broke out at the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in New York City. Police scrutinized and attempted to arrest patrons that June but the people present fought back for their right to love.

These marches sparked a new beginning for the gay rights movement, not just the U.S., but all around the world as well.

A large percentage of these front-line activists who risked their lives for LGBTQ+ rights in these marches were drag queens and transgender women, the most famous of which was Marsha P. Johnson. Because of the importance of Stonewall, the Inn has become a national monument and has even acquired its own page on the National Park Service website. But, as of 2025, they have now removed all mention of transgender people in its section, regardless of their importance to its history.

Though they still have a page about Marsha P. Johnson, the acronym has been changed from LGBTQ+ to LGB. It’s clear that in spite of their efforts, the contribution transgender people have made to queer history is being erased.

Although there are a lot of difficulties and fears for transgender people at this time, many refuse to give up. Countless organizations have come together to support the transgender community, even more so with Pride Month only two months away.

A large rally for Transgender Day of Visibility was held at the Texas State Capitol in Austin. Drag brunches and clothing swap events are being held for people from all walks of life. It can be scary, but trans people are emphasizing the importance of sticking together at a time like this.

Tyler’s advice for fellow transgender people, especially younger transgender individuals, is to stay strong. “The sun will always rise. Your existence is resistance.”