How To Be a Better Ally this Trans Day of Visibility

Written by Dana Grayson on March 31, 2026. Posted in iCarol.

Each year on March 31 we observe Transgender Day of Visibility (TDOV), and celebrate resilience, creativity, trans joy, and courage of transgender and gender nonconforming people. It is also a time to recognize the ongoing work needed to build a society where everyone can live openly and authentically without fear.

The History of TDOV

TDOV was founded in 2009 by Rachel Crandall-Crocker, a transgender activist and psychotherapist based in Michigan. Crandall-Crocker has long been an advocate for trans people through both her professional work and her community leadership, and she understood something important: trans people deserved a day centered on life, visibility, and affirmation, not only remembrance of loss. She created TDOV to celebrate trans people who were living, working, leading, and contributing every day, even in a world that often failed to see them.

Her lived experience as a trans woman shaped the day’s purpose. She knew firsthand how isolating invisibility can be, and how powerful it is when trans people are acknowledged with dignity and respect. That perspective made her especially well suited to start TDOV. She was not simply naming a need in the community, but responding to it with action.

TDOV was created as a counterpart to Transgender Day of Remembrance, which honors trans lives lost to violence. While remembrance is essential, TDOV focuses on joy, strength, and the presence of trans people in the world today. Both days matter. Together, they remind us that trans lives deserve to be mourned when lost, celebrated when living, and protected always.

Why Trans Day of Visibility Matters

Trans people continue to face disproportionate barriers in daily life, including discrimination, harassment, violence, housing insecurity, and barriers to healthcare. Unfortunately, this discrimination and harm is often perpetrated by leaders in government through harmful legislation.

Visibility matters because it challenges stigma and helps more people understand that trans people are not abstract headlines or political talking points. They are our neighbors, coworkers, friends, family members, and community leaders.

Visibility can also be life-affirming. When trans people are seen in media, workplaces, schools, and public life, it helps create space for others to live more openly. It can reduce shame, build connection, and remind trans people that they are not alone. Being visible should never mean being unsafe, which is why TDOV is not only about celebration. It is also about demanding a world where trans people can be visible and protected at the same time.

How to Be a Better Trans Ally

Being a strong ally is not about doing one big thing perfectly. It is about building habits of respect, learning, and action over time.

Learn and research. Read articles, follow trans people and advocates on social media, and listen to lived experiences directly from the people most affected. Education is an ongoing process.
Uplift and center trans voices. Share trans stories, cite trans experts, and make space for trans people to speak for themselves. Allyship means amplifying, not speaking over.
Correct misused pronouns and challenge disrespect. If someone is misgendered, intentionally ignored, or mocked, say something. Silence can be interpreted as approval, and small corrections can make a big difference.
Respect names and pronouns. A person’s name and pronouns are basic signs of dignity. Use them consistently, and if you make a mistake, correct it briefly and move forward.
Do not ask intrusive questions. If you would not ask a cis person a personal question, do not ask a trans person. Everyone deserves privacy and boundaries.
Support trans media and trans-owned businesses. Put your money and attention toward creators, companies, and organizations led by trans people.
Remember the stakes. Trans people remain one of the most persecuted groups within the LGBTQIA+ community and experience high rates of suicide attempts and mental health strain. Respecting someone’s name, pronouns, and humanity is not a small thing. It can be a meaningful part of suicide prevention.

Why This Matters

We often talk of suicide prevention in terms of recognizing warning signs, listening without judgement, having difficult conversations, creating safety plans, and connecting people with help. And while those are all critical elements of suicide prevention, the truth is that for the trans community allyship, support, using correct pronouns and names, and advocating for trans rights are also suicide prevention.

For trans people, affirmation is not just kindness. It can be protective. Research and community experience both show that being respected, believed, and supported helps reduce distress and increase hope. Every time an ally uses the correct pronouns, challenges misinformation, or refuses to let demeaning behavior go unchallenged, they help create a safer environment.

That is especially important in crisis, community, and behavioral health spaces, where trust can determine whether someone reaches out for support or withdraws. When people feel seen and respected, they are more likely to engage, share honestly, and seek help when they need it.

iCarol’s Commitment

At iCarol, we are proud to support organizations that serve transgender and gender diverse people across crisis and mental health, community navigation, victim services, aging, health, and LGBTQIA+ services. We live by the Harris Computer Systems core values, including the first and most important: Respect of the Individual. We want our technology to be a part of creating more welcoming, affirming, and effective human services.

Trans people deserve more than acknowledgment on Trans Day of Visibility. They deserve respect, protection, opportunity, and joy. When we listen, learn, and act, we help build communities where trans people can live authentically and safely. And when we do the everyday work of allyship, we help create a culture where visibility is paired with dignity.

References:
Trans History Spotlight: The Story of Trans Day of Visibility, https://getplume.co/blog/trans-history-spotlight-the-story-of-trans-day-of-visibility/
Trans Day of Visibility began 15 years ago. The founder is still …, https://www.npr.org/2024/03/30/1241589753/transgender-day-of-visibility-rachel-crandall-crocker
The history behind International Transgender Day of Visibility, https://19thnews.org/2021/03/history-behind-transgender-day-of-visibility/
Impact of Anti-Trans Laws on Trans & Nonbinary Youth, https://www.thetrevorproject.org/blog/anti-transgender-laws-cause-up-to-72-increase-in-suicide-attempts-among-transgender-and-no…
2024 National Survey on LGBTQ+ Youth Mental Health, https://www.thetrevorproject.org/survey-2024/
Facts About Suicide Among LGBTQ+ Young People, https://www.thetrevorproject.org/resources/article/facts-about-lgbtq-youth-suicide/
Falsehoods About Transgender People and Gender Affirming Care, https://www.kff.org/health-information-trust/falsehoods-about-transgender-people-and-gender-affirming-care/
Ally is a Verb, https://www.sheppardpratt.org/news-views/story/ally-is-a-verb/
How To Be an Ally to Transgender and Gender-Nonconforming People in the BU Community, https://www.bu.edu/articles/2020/how-to-be-an-ally-to-transgender-and-gender-nonconforming-people-in-the-bu-community/
Making Your Writing and Reporting Transgender-Inclusive, https://www.theopennotebook.com/2020/09/22/making-your-writing-and-reporting-transgender-inclusive/
Tips for Journalists, https://transequality.org/resources/tips-journalists
Trans/forming Allyship: Inclusive Practices to Support Transgender People and Gender Diversity, https://diversity.wisc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Trans-Allyship-Slides-optimized.pdf
Respectful Intentions, Inclusive Impact: Why Pronouns Matter, https://www.nccjtriad.org/2021/02/11/why-pronouns-matter/
Why Pronouns Matter, https://www.nea.org/nea-today/all-news-articles/why-pronouns-matter
Trans Day of Visibility – LGBTQ Pride Center – NC State University, https://pridecenter.dasa.ncsu.edu/trans-day-of-visibility/
Transgender Day of Visibility | Harvard Kennedy School, https://www.hks.harvard.edu/centers/wappp/research/transgender-day-of-visibility
Why Trans Visibility Day matters, https://www.oxfamamerica.org/explore/stories/why-trans-visibility-day-matters/
Tips for Allies of Transgender People, https://galachoruses.org/documents/events/symposium2015/Tips_for_Allies_of_Transgender_People.pdf
Supporting the Transgender People in Your Life: A Guide to Being a Good Ally, https://transequality.org/resources/supporting-transgender-people-your-life-guide-being-good-ally