By Satori Good
As Women’s History Month comes to a close, we want to highlight the voices of transgender women who are historically subjected to erasure and injustices in the United States, United Kingdom, and other countries across the world. In response to the continued presence of trans-exclusionary radical feminists, it is important for cisgender allies (anyone who identifies as the same sex they were assigned at birth) to celebrate intersectionality, acknowledge the role of trans women—particularly trans women of color—in fighting and advocating for women’s rights, and to practice intentional allyship.
Today is Transgender Day of Visibility, observed around the world to focus on trans representation, safety, and highlighting the voices of trans people. Today and always, we join others around the world in listening to and amplifying the voices of trans women. Visibility is vulnerable and dangerous—but it can also bring community, support, solidarity, and empowerment.
These stories and articles explore trans women’s experiences of Women’s History Month; introducing trans pioneers, providing tips for allyship, and exploring trans women’s struggles with erasure.
Being a Trans Woman During Women’s History Month, from Bustle—“Unfortunately, Women’s History Month fails in precisely the same way that so much of mainstream feminism fails — in its exclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender women from its narratives, and from the history as a whole. Though I’m a woman, my queerness and my trans-ness mean that Women’s History Month isn’t a place where I see my experiences reflected.”
Black Trans Women Have Always Been Integral to the Fight for Women’s Rights, from Harper’s Bazaar—“[Black trans women] are your fiercest warriors within the women’s rights movement, and we will fight for you like our lives depend on it, because they in fact do. We need to stop reducing other women down to sexual organs and reproductive functions. A body is merely a portal of possibility, not a prison. Our bodies don’t define us, but they can distract us from exploring the entirety of personhood. Womanhood is complex, nuanced, layered, and doesn’t require extrinsic validation from men—or other women.”
Angelica Ross Has a Simple Reason for Why We Celebrate Trans Women During Women’s History Month, from Pridesource—“So if we’re going to celebrate—truly celebrate—the beautiful, diverse spectrum of womanhood then we need to celebrate Black women, that includes Black trans women, Latinx women, women who have been struggling with fertility in this world. So many times when we talk about racial justice movements, women are just left out of the narrative when it’s many times women who are leading that narrative.”
We’re Here Too: Transgender Visibility During Women’s History Month, from Golin—“As an ally, you can help us feel validated in our trans identity by learning about the nuances of trans identity, then ultimately treating us as you would a cisgender person who shares our gender identity.”
Satori Good is a freelance writer and student at the University of Iowa; connect with her via LinkedIn.
