On Transgender Day of Visibility: Fighting Against Erasure

By Dr. Kellan Baker

Each year on March 31, we mark Transgender Day Of Visibility (TDOV), a chance since 2009, where we celebrate and honor transgender people worldwide. This year's focus on 'visibility' feels especially significant against a backdrop where political maneuvers threaten our very acknowledgment in society.

Transgender rights under threat: my personal view

Being transgender and a researcher eager about advancing fairness and inclusion in gender-diverse communities, I'm genuinely concerned about today's political climate that works against us. My 16-year journey in advocating healthcare equity and transparency could never have foreseen such a rapid onset by federal authorities aiming at marginalizing transgender folks.

Struggles in healthcare and identity recognition

Recent rules have taken aim at our community by banning us from serving openly in military roles, denying needed medical care, and putting up hurdles in obtaining correct ID documents. These actions aren't just fleeting—they'll haunt many transgender lives long-term. It's unsettling how efforts erode federal research and stats systems meant precisely as reflections on America in all its diversity.

Comprehending and supporting diverse groups depends on thorough data. But when policymakers strip questions about gender identity, sexual orientation, race, or disability from vital surveys, it undercuts that goal massively. By limiting access and silencing related research, they're essentially trying wiping out transgender people's experiences from public consciousness.

What it means: research and data collection

Recently, there has been a noticeable slump in considering transgender experiences within government research. Datasets vanishing and tweaks in surveys like Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) expose an agenda dismissive towards gender identity's complexities. A strict two-sex policy denies countless individuals' real stories.

Surveys that once included questions on gender identity, such as those in American Housing Survey and National Health Interview Survey, have abruptly removed them. Branded as 'non-substantial,' these shifts slyly bypass public input, ignoring why gender identity and sexual orientation questions were included initially.

Threats looming over research funding and truth

Worryingly, numerous grants backing inclusive research have been pulled, signaling troubling times. The National Institutes Of Health (NIH) ceased funding projects involving transgender participants, stalling essential scientific inquiries. Such moves force prominent health experts out, leading staff layoffs and leaving participants without vital assistance.

At Whitman-Walker's Institute For Health Research & Policy, we've seen seven studies cut, losing over $3 million. A key project with George Washington University was probing structural racism and LGBTQ health disparities. These actions highlight how this administration overlooks research tackling health inequities affecting transgender people.

Standing strong: advocacy and resilience in transgender visibility

Despite federal-level suppression, non-profits are fiercely defending inclusive data. Initiatives like Data Rescue Project or data hubs like Data Lumos keep once-public datasets alive. Surveys such as U.S. Trans Survey and California Health Interview Survey (CHIS) offer critical insights, supported by committed groups ensuring these resources endure. Yet, funding threats remain constant challenges in advocacy efforts.

Branding our community's erasure 'non-substantial' offends intelligence and directly insults transgender individuals everywhere. Every human deserves acknowledgment and a narrative say. Transgender people have always been integral here, and despite what's thrown at us, we stand—proud, authentic, and undeniably visible.

Dr. Kellan Baker serves as Executive Director at Whitman-Walker's Institute For Health Research & Policy.