March 31: International Transgender Day of Visibility

Céline Arétin, culture, women's issues and environment correspondent, March 31, 2025

Origins and goals of this day

International Transgender Day of Visibility was created in 2009 by activist Rachel Crandall, co-founder of Transgender Michigan, to celebrate transgender people. Unlike Transgender Day of Remembrance, which commemorates the victims of hate crimes, this day highlights the positive contributions of trans people.

What is a transgender person?

A transgender person is someone whose gender identity differs from the sex assigned to them at birth. For example, a person born with male biological characteristics may identify as a woman, a man, non-binary, or any other gender. In the United States, about 1.6 million people identify as transgender, according to a 2022 study by the Williams Institute. In France, a 2021 survey conducted by INSERM estimates that nearly 0.5% of adults identify as transgender or non-binary. Among these individuals, about 30% undergo a medical transition, including hormone treatments or surgical procedures, according to the Acceptess-T association.

Legislative progress on transgender rights

In France, the 2016 justice modernization law simplified the procedure for changing civil status for transgender people, making it possible to change one's gender and first name without requiring medical intervention. In Argentina, the gender identity law adopted in 2012 is one of the most progressive in the world: it allows trans people to legally change gender without medical conditions or prior judgment. In Germany, the Constitutional Court recognized the existence of a "third gender" in 2017, allowing intersex and non-binary people to be legally recognized.

On the other hand, some countries continue to impose severe restrictions on transgender people. In Russia, laws adopted in 2023 prohibit trans people from changing their gender in civil records and limit access to transition care. In Hungary, a law passed in 2020 bans the legal recognition of gender change in civil records, preventing transgender people from having their identity documents amended. In Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, transgender people risk severe criminal penalties, including prison sentences or corporal punishment.