Statement from Lieutenant Governor Kounalakis’ Transgender Advisory Council on International Transgender Day of Visibility

“On International Transgender Day of Visibility (TDOV), we lift the voices and celebrate the joy of our transgender and gender-expansive siblings across our state, our nation, and beyond. Today is a day of empowerment, recognition, and visibility and in an increasingly hostile political climate, being seen, heard, and acknowledged is more important than ever, especially for our transgender youth.

“Celebration and advocacy must go hand in hand. We honor the achievements, accomplishments, and contributions of transgender communities while continuing the fight against discrimination and violence.”

“Across the country, harmful policies continue to target transgender people. This March, Kansas passed invalidating and revoking driver’s licenses and birth certificates of transgender Kansans, without providing any advance notice or grace periods to update their documents. Even in California, where historic protection has been enacted, threats remain. The US Supreme Court ‘s decision to block AB1955 (SAFETY Act), a landmark law that protected against forced outing policies in schools has placed transgender youth at great risk by undermining protections against forced outing policies in schools.

“Violence against transgender people – particularly transgender women – remains alarmingly high fueled by hostile policies, dehumanizing rhetoric and harmful stereotypes. According to GLAAD’s 2025 Anti-LGBTQ Extremism Reporting Tracker, more than half of all anti-LGBTQ violence specifically targeted transgender and gender-nonconforming people, which marks a 10% increase since 2024.

“In this moment, sharing our stories of resilience and reclaiming our narratives is an act of resistance. On this International Transgender Day of Visibility, we come together to celebrate our community and continue fighting for the safety, dignity, and future of transgender people – especially our youth.”