Transgender Visibility Day Proclamation Passed By 9 Of 10 Supervisors

FAIRFAX, VA — With all the laws proposed and passed in many states impinging on the constitutional rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness of transgender people, one might think trans people were the greatest threat ever, according to the Rev. Emma Chattin, executive director of Transgender Education Association.

"Incidents in schools have quadrupled," she said, during Tuesday morning's meeting of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. "The human impact and consequence of anti-trans rhetoric and policy must be acknowledged. As such, each and every act of visibility, even in Northern Virginia, carries with it a risk of life and livelihood."

Chattin was at Tuesday's meeting to receive a board proclamation declaring March 31 as Transgender Visibility Day on behalf of the county's trans community.

"Visibility for some of our members has meant being filmed and photographed with their likeness bearing ugly and false accusations and statements spread over social media and used for anti-trans fundraising, fear mongering and conservative political gain and that's wrong," she said. "As such, visibility can even be a heroic thing, especially for our trans women of color in our community, who face additional intersectional obstacles of prejudice regarding safety, housing, employment and health care."

It was for these reasons that the proclamation the board passed on a unanimous 9-0 vote was so important, according to Chattin.

"It means that you you see this community, and this is a visible declaration of solidarity, and the leadership necessary to help build a better world. Leadership matters," she said. "It is also a measure of how votes matter, because of different seats were sitting in your seats, we're under no illusions that this would not be happening."

Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approved a proclamation at its meeting on Tuesday morning declaring March 31 as Transgender Visibility Day.

"I'm just very happy that we're recognizing a community that has too often been pushed into the shadows and celebrating yet another community within our diverse tapestry here in Fairfax County," said Supervisor Jimmy Bierman (D-Dranesville), who read the proclamation into the county record. "We really are One Fairfax, and we want to make sure that everybody who's a part of our community feels welcomed, feels loved and feels empowered."

Bierman was on of the nine members of the board who requested the proclamation, which was passed unanimously by the nine members who were present.

"To me, what really stands out more than anything is that leadership matters," Supervisor Dalia Palchik (D-Providence) said. "What we say at this dais matters. What you say in the community, what our leaders say and the outcome of that really matters."

In making her statement, Palchik referenced the results of the anonymous and voluntary Fairfax County Youth Survey.

"Our transgender students are depressed," she said. "Nearly half have considered suicide. You see across the board in our LGBT community that it is the one community that stands out higher than any other demographic in our students of depression, attempting suicide, considering suicide. To me, it is a moral imperative and also a public health imperative that we band together."

Both Supervisor James Walkinshaw (D-Braddock) and Board Chair Jeff McKay (D-At-Large) noted that it wasn't a full board that voted for March 31 to be Transgender Visibility Day. Supervisor Patrick Herrity (R-Springfield) was absent from the dais when the proclamation was read.

"I'm looking forward to the day when we have a full dais for this proclamation and that day will come," Walkinshaw said. "One way or the other, that day will come."

McKay agreed and said he was also looking forward to that day coming.

"As an elected official, it should be our moral responsibility to stand up for all people that we represent, not just the people we like or the people we agree with," he said. "But stand up for all people in our community, especially those who are persecuted relentlessly by people who think that that shows strength, when in reality it shows a tremendous amount of weakness to walk out on people and not stand up for them."

Patch reached out to Supervisor Herrity's office for comment about the proclamation and his absence from the dais during the Transgender Visibility Day vote. His response will be added to this story once it is received.