Each year, Trans Day of Visibility is celebrated internationally on March 31st. Today we celebrate our trans communities, siblings, kins, ancestors, and future descendants!
Trans Day of Visibility is about trans empowerment, solidarity, and a commitment to trans liberation. Today, we rage for trans justice and we dance with trans joy. We remember, thank, and honor our transcestors, especially trans women of color, who fought for trans rights and dared to be themselves. We acknowledge the continued violence trans people face, and we refuse to accept trans oppression, cisheteropatriarchy, or the gender binary as normal or natural.
We dream of trans futures, and we commit to cultivating the trans imagination and visions for better worlds. We refuse to accept trans oppression, and we commit to ushering in a world where loving, honoring, embracing, and celebrating transness and trans people, gender creativity and exploration, and holistic authenticity are inevitable and woven into the fabric of our society. A world without trans people has never existed and never will!
This TDOV, the Pride Center of Vermont is excited to announce that we will be hosting virtual and in-person Trans Support Groups again beginning in May! Look out for more information about dates and locations soon!
Is the Pride Center resuming operations?
PCVT is not yet resuming full operations of any program, including the Trans Program, while we undergo our Community Mapping and strategic planning process. (You can read more about that process, including how to participate, here.) Rather, this offering is designed to provide interim support to those who were impacted by the pause in support groups while we undergo this transformation.
Who are the support groups for?
The Trans Support Groups are for any Vermonter who identifies under the trans umbrella or is questioning their gender identity. This may include, but is not limited to, anyone who identifies as trans women or trans femmes, trans men or trans mascs, two spirit, intersex, nonbinary, agender, genderfluid, gender nonconforming, and anyone questioning their gender. Cis allies are deeply appreciated but encouraged to engage in other forms of advocacy and support; the trans support groups are only for trans people and those questioning gender identity.
Because the purpose of these support groups is to provide interim support to folks who were impacted by PCVT’s pause in operations, these offerings will mirror the prior support group formats and locations: in person in Burlington and virtually for statewide support. This does not necessarily reflect where support groups or other programming will be offered in the future. If you’d like to provide input about locations where support groups are needed, please do so through our Community Mapping process!
Who will be leading the support groups?
The purpose of the Trans Support Groups is to provide space for trans people to build community and solidarity, offer each other empowerment and care, but these are not therapeutic spaces run by clinical mental health professionals. Trans Support Groups are coordinated and facilitated by trans community members who are trained in group dynamics and offering referrals to community resources.
Finally, we know that Megan, the Director of the Trans Program prior to the operational pause, was the heart and soul of Trans Support Groups at PCVT for many years. She was contacted about the opportunity to coordinate these support groups again but has elected to move forward with other opportunities. We are very grateful for the care and leadership she provided during her time with PCVT!
PCVT will share more information about an upcoming social event at the end of April and the Trans Support Groups schedule soon!
Illustrations by: Kyra Letona Ortega
