A modest but dedicated crowd slowly made its way around the green space at the corner of Leonard Street and Concord Avenue on March 31 marking Transgender Day of Visibility (TDOV) by reading about people who made a difference.
Posters were arranged around the perimeter of the space, each with a photo and brief biography of transgender people from around the world, including actors, writers, doctors, politicians, athletes, and more.
“I think it’s really important that we have these displays that everyone can see,” said Fern Lucio, who co-runs the Gender Sexuality Alliance (GSA) at Belmont High School, where they are a junior.
Michael Horan, Belmont’s LGBTQ+ liaison officer, attended the town’s Transgender Day of Visibility event on March 31. He and others read the biographies of noted trans people that were on posters at the corner of Leonard Street and Concord Avenue. (Julie M. Cohen/Belmont Voice) 
Sharon Rich, from the Belmont LGBTQ Alliance. (Mina Rose Morales/ Belmont Voice) 
A man moves the poster of Noelle Mansbridge closer to the crowd so that they can pause and read it. (Mina Rose Morales/ Belmont Voice) 
Fern Lucio, a memberf of Belmont High School’s Gender and Sexuality Alliance (GSA), on Transgender Day of Visibility on March 31. (Mina Rose Morales/ Belmont Voice) 
Jamie Taylor and Gladys Unger, members of Belmont’s LGBTQ+ Alliance, stand beside a “Transgender Rights Eliminated” poster on display during the Transgender Day of Visibility in Belmont Cennter Monnday. (Mina Rose Morales/ Belmont Voice)
“Each year on March 31, the world observes Transgender Day of Visibility (TDOV) to raise awareness about transgender people,” according to GLAAD. “It is a day to celebrate the lives and contributions of trans people, while also drawing attention to the disproportionate levels of poverty, discrimination, and violence the community faces compared to cisgender (non-transgender) people.”
Among the attendees at Tuesday’s event was Belmont’s LGBTQ+ liaison officer Michael Horan.
The town has been marking TDOV, which was created in 2010, for the past six years, according to Gladys Unger, a member of the Belmont LGBTQ+ Alliance’s leadership team.
In addition to celebrating trans people’s accomplishments, TDOV is dedicated to “raising awareness of discrimination faced by transgender people worldwide,” according to the alliance.
“Given the political climate and alienation of trans people, I think it’s important that we don’t feel shame in showing transness,” said Lucio.
Although the 17-year-old said they feel supported by Belmont High staff, there’s an “awkwardness” with students, they said. According to Lucio, there has been a lack of outreach and interest from the cisgender (non-trans) student community in the GSA and the group also has been mocked.
The GSA represents a “safe space” for the school’s LGBTQ+ community, some of whom are out while others are not.
“We have a strong sense of trust in the club,” said Lucio. “It’s very important to meet others who have had similar experiences as yourself.”
To read more about Trans Day of Visibility, visit glaad.org/tdov/.
