Trans Day of Visibility 2023

Friday, 31 March marks Transgender Day of Visibility — an annual event that celebrates transgender and non-binary and raises awareness of the discrimination faced by the community.

Hate crime against transgender people is a growing issue and there have been huge increases in the number of crimes being recorded by police across England and Wales. Therefore, it is important to champion the voices and victories of people with a different gender identity to the one they were assigned at birth. At Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, we support all transgender and non-binary people and stand in solidarity with the trans community.

This year, we were named as one of the top 100 organisations for LGBTQ+ employees for the second year in a row and are delighted to have been recognised for the efforts made in making workplaces fair and equitable for LGBTQ+ people.

Dr Kate Nambiar, an openly trans woman and doctor at the Welsh Gender Service is passionate about equality and good healthcare for trans people. She has been working hard to create better healthcare for transgender people everywhere and champions the cause. She is currently the Medical Director at the Terrence Higgins Trust and has recently partnered with Eastenders on a storyline about HIV awareness and reducing the stigma that comes with a diagnosis.

Dr Nambiar is a Gender Clinician and Endocrinology Specialist and has worked within the NHS since 1999. In 2012, she undertook research with her colleagues to demonstrate the sexual health inequalities when it came to trans and non-binary people and as a result, founded Clinic T in Brighton. Clinic T is a sexual health and contraception clinic set up based on the need for a gender-inclusive service for the transgender people in the community.

With the rise of abuse and hate crime towards transgender people, it highlights how important it is that we get positive messages out, like the good work Dr Kate Nambiar and her colleagues do within the Welsh Gender Service does for trans patients. The Welsh Gender Service promotes a culture of inclusivity and provides holistic patient-centred care focussing on hormonal, psychological, and social aspects of transition.

On the theme of equality, Dr Nambiar said, “Equality for all people should be fundamental to any civilised society. Trans people are no exception to that. More than ever, we need our allies to be standing up for us and advocating for us. Our voice can only reach so far: with our allies on our side we can speak to so many more people.”

She continued, “Don’t be afraid to stick your head above the parapet. I’ve have had my fair share of abuse, but I don't want the fear of that to keep us from speaking out – visibility can be a powerful message.”

The Welsh Gender Service was launched in 2019 as a multi-disciplinary team including gender clinicians, endocrinologists and psychologists. The team all work together to provide holistic patient centred care; and are also able to refer patients on to relevant services that may be able to support their transition, e.g. speech and language therapy.

The team all work together to provide holistic patient-centred care focussing on hormonal, psychological, and social aspects of transition.

To be a good ally to transgender people on Transgender Day of Visibility and every day, we are asking people to remember to be kind. An individual’s gender or sexuality should never be a factor in how you treat them, and it is also not something to laugh at or joke about. People of all sexualities and genders should be treated with equal respect and kindness every day.

No one deserves to be criticised or othered because of their gender or sexuality. If you see transphobic abuse, report it. It is important to stand up for transgender people, whether you know the individual or not. Don’t be a bystander, speak up against anti-LGBTQ+ behaviour, and help create equality in society.

If you hear someone use everyday language that is offensive to any member of the LGBTQ+ community, you should challenge it. Some people may not understand that they are being offensive, but by addressing their behaviour, you can help more people to be more inclusive and respectful to all.