Monday, March 31 is International Transgender Day of Visibility, celebrating individuals who are transgender or nonbinary, as well as raising awareness of the discrimination they face. Join The Current on Monday as we spotlight essential transgender artists, from the pioneers like Jackie Shane, to those changing the face of music today, like Laura Jane Grace and Sam Smith.

You can also enjoy listening to this playlist we’ve put together of music by essential transgender artists.

A little history about the day: In 2009, Rachel Crandall-Crocker, a psychotherapist and the executive director of the nonprofit advocacy group Transgender Michigan, wanted a reason to come together and feel joy with other members of the trans community. That idea turned into International Transgender Day of Visibility, which falls on March 31 every year. Crandall-Crocker said she chose the springtime date because she wanted to differentiate and to create some temporal space from Transgender Day of Remembrance (November 20) as well as from Pride Month, which is in June. Trans advocates from around the world caught on, launching rallies, block parties and festivals in observance of the day. 

In 2021, former President Joe Biden officially proclaimed March 31 as a Transgender Day of Visibility in the United States, proclaiming in part, “I call upon all Americans to join in the fight for full equality for all transgender people." The White House published this proclamation, making Biden the first American president to issue a formal presidential proclamation recognizing the Transgender Day of Visibility. It's a day “dedicated to celebrating transgender people and raising awareness of discrimination faced by transgender people worldwide, as well as a celebration of their contributions to society.”