Surrey Schools Celebrates Transgender Day of Visibility
March 31 is the International Transgender Day of Visibility (TDOV), recognizing students and staff who identify as transgender and celebrating their lives and contributions while raising awareness of transphobia, discrimination, violence and other issues faced by the trans community.
The day was founded in 2010 by trans advocate Rachel Crandall, head of Transgender Michigan, in response to the lack of positive news stories about transgender people – with most about violence and discrimination – as well as the absence of a day to celebrate trans people aside from the Transgender Day of Remembrance, a somber event to mourn the murders of transgender people and the only well-known transgender-centred day at the time.
Through TDOV, Crandall wished to highlight the accomplishments of trans people and spread a message of positivity and empowerment to encourage trans people to live authentically – visibly.
Surrey Schools is committed to providing safe and inclusive spaces for students and staff of all sexual orientations and gender identities, including those in the trans community, by providing SOGI-inclusive education and resources. Like other forms of inclusion in schools, SOGI-inclusive education is about treating everyone with dignity and respect, with the goal of fostering a better understanding of the diverse society that we live in and to ensure everyone feels safe, valued and respected. All students need to see themselves and their families reflected in lessons, language and practices.
The district is part of SOGI 123, a network of stakeholders created by the ARC Foundation in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Child Care, the BC Teachers’ Federation, the UBC Faculty of Education and other districts.
Additionally, staff and students across the district have made efforts to raise awareness for the transgender community:
- The district’s Protecting Surrey Schools Together (PSST) website offers an anonymous platform for anyone to report discrimination and bullying, and provides a number of SOGI definitions and resources.
- Last month, the district highlighted the roots of Pink Shirt Day in taking a stand against transphobia and homophobia within the broader scope of anti-bullying.
- In January, Fraser Heights Secondary Grade 11 student Finn Liu spoke at TEDxSurrey about the need for inclusion for Asian transgender-identifying individuals, drawing on his life experience of coming out to his family last year.
- The district made its first in-person appearance at the Vancouver Pride Parade last summer, with L.A. Matheson Secondary teacher Annie Ohana participating as one of the parade’s Grand Marshals.
- Lord Tweedsmuir Secondary graduate Cyrena Halbig painted a portrait of Kissy Duerré, a Black transgender woman and social media personality who discusses issues around social justice online.
- In early 2021, the district distributed pride flags, rainbow stickers and LGBTQ2S+ posters to all schools as part of a districtwide SOGI resource package to promote inclusivity and encourage a sense of belonging for all students.
The International Transgender Day of Visibility continues to shine a light on the achievements of transgender people in the ongoing pursuit of social progress and human rights for all in Canada. We can all be allies, today and year-round, in celebrating our transgender colleagues, relatives and friends.
