Celebrate trans and gender visibility!
On Transgender Day of Visibility, People with Disability Australia (PWDA) is proud to celebrate and acknowledge the strong and resilient diversity that trans and gender diverse (TGD) people bring to our society especially the TGD community with disability.
“We recognise people with disability share the full and diverse shades of sexuality and genders as a natural human variation,” said PWDA President Nicole Lee.
“As the national disability rights peak body, we advocate for the fundamental human rights of all gender diverse people with disability to step into greater inclusion in all aspects of life where being visibly trans and gender diverse is a safe option for all people with disability,” said Ms Lee.
“Visibility is a powerful tool to unite, connect and find pride in all our diversity,” said PWDA member and disability and LGBTIQA+ activist, Jax Brown (they/them).
“Trans Day of Visibility is a chance to be visible on our own terms, celebrate our whole selves, and raise awareness and acceptance of our right to full autonomy over our own bodies and identities,” said Jax Brown.
“It is also an opportunity to resist social and medical narratives that imply disability somehow invalidates our sexuality or gender identity.”
Founded by transgender activist Rachel Crandall-Crocker in 2009, the annual international Transgender Day of Visibility on 31 March, is a day of pride and celebration to recognise and promote the contributions and achievements of all trans and gender diverse people.
Key Facts:
* The term 'trans and gender diverse' describes a group of people whose gender is different to what was presumed for them at birth.
* The Transgender Day of Visibility held on 31 March, was started by transgender activist Rachel Crandall-Crocker in 2009, as an annual international day of pride and celebration to recognise and promote the contributions and achievements of all trans and gender diverse people.
* Some 35% of sex/gender diverse people in the 2016 Australian Census, indicated they were non-binary or another gender. A further 26% reported they were trans male, trans female or transgender.
* More than a third (38.5%; n = 2,629) of participants in the 2020 Private Lives 3: The health and wellbeing of LGBTIQ people in Australia, reported a disability or long-term health condition. Approximately one 10th (11.8%; n = 802) reported a profound or severe disability, one fifth (20.4%; n = 1,394) a moderate disability and 6.4% (n = 433) a mild disability or long-term health condition.
* More than three quarters (77.7%; n = 617) of participants in the 2020 Private Lives 3: The health and wellbeing of LGBTIQ people in Australia, who reported a severe disability or long-term health condition reported being treated unfairly by others in the past 12 months as a result of their disability or long-term health condition. This was followed by more than half (55.8%; n = 771) of participants who reported a moderate disability or long-term health condition and four in ten (42.7%; n = 184) who reported a mild disability or long-term health condition.