Transgender people cannot simultaneously be distinct and indistinct from the sex or gender they wish to embody.
The Biden administration recognized March 31, 2024, as “Transgender Day of Visibility,” which coincided with Easter Sunday. The White House released a statement asserting, “Today, we send a message to all transgender Americans: You are loved. You are heard. You are understood. You belong.” (Apparently, deeming June “Pride Month” was insufficient for conveying that message.)
Many insightful commentators have criticized the degradation of a holy day, suggesting that honoring “Transgender Day of Visibility” effectively elevated a new religion and disrespected Christians. I want to suggest, however, that the “Transgender Day of Visibility” betrays another group of people: the people who consider themselves transgender.
From my reporting on the LGBTQ+ movement, I have interacted with many self-described “transgender” people. Many pursue lengthy medical treatments (such as hormonal therapy) and invasive cosmetic procedures (such as facial surgery) to obtain an external appearance that might reinforce one’s preferred identity.
Certainly, there are vocal activists who emphasize their status as “transgender,” perhaps as a means to garner more attention. But my understanding is that many transgender people deemphasize that component of their identity. They earnestly wish to be perceived as the opposite sex without distinction from those who were conceived as that sex. A girl or woman who removes her breasts and takes testosterone does not want to be seen as a female trying to be male; she wants to be seen as male by others without suspicion. This is better characterized as invisibility, not visibility; the underlying aim is to become unnoticeable among the opposite sex after thoroughly transitioning.
Ironically, progressive activists who promote the LGBTQ+ movement impede the cause. If “trans women are women” and “trans men are men,” as we hear so often, then why is there a special day that differentiates trans women from women and trans men from men? The tension is obvious: Transgender people cannot simultaneously be distinct and indistinct from the sex or gender they wish to embody.