Transgender Day Of Visibility Returning To Montclair: 2024 Event

MONTCLAIR, NJ — Out Montclair will hold a Trans Day of Visibility Celebration on Saturday, March 23, bringing back their second annual event in an attempt to spread “education, empowerment and advocacy” to the local community.

According to organizers, the free public event will include speakers, panels, workshops, music, vendors and food. It will take place from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Hackensack Meridian Mountainside Medical Center, 1 Bay Avenue.

Playwright, poet, model and advocate Danielle Davis will emcee the event. Speakers will include:

• Attorney General of New Jersey Matthew J. Platkin
• CEO of Mountainside Medical Center, Tim O’Brien
• President of the Dover Board of Education, Daniella Mendez
• Founder and CEO of Bridges4Life, Tahtianna Fermin
• Director of the Essex County Office of LGBTQ+ Affairs, Reginald Bledsoe

A spokesperson for Out Montclair added that the event will open with a vigil for Montclair State University student Ashton Clatterbuck, a “vibrant and passionate transgender man known for his magnetic personality, sharp intellect and tireless activism.”

Clatterbuck passed away last week, his obituary states.

Organizers noted:

“Transgender Day of Visibility (TDoV) is an annual event celebrated worldwide on March 31 to honor transgender people and raise awareness of the discrimination they face. This year, due to Easter Sunday coinciding with TDoV, Out Montclair will host the celebration on March 23, 2024.”

“We’re thrilled to once again present this significant community-wide event to honor Trans Day of Visibility,” said Marie Cottrell, managing director at Out Montclair.

“It’s an important occasion dedicated to recognizing and celebrating our transgender family and friends,” Cottrell said, thanking Mountainside Medical Center for its support. “Our event aims to unite the community, spark meaningful conversations, educate, and demonstrate unwavering support for our families, friends and neighbors.”

For more information or to RSVP, click here.

According to Out Montclair, a positive celebration like the upcoming Trans Day of Visibility is especially important at a time when basic rights such as health care and access to public spaces are under threat nationwide.

It was a point that Platkin – the state’s attorney general and an Essex County resident – also said is important to keep in mind.

“In New Jersey, we are committed to protecting LGBTQIA+ individuals from discrimination and ensuring that no one is mistreated because of their gender identity, gender expression, or sexual orientation,” Platkin said.

“We will not relent in protecting our LGBTQIA+ community — especially our children,” he added.

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