Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ+ Affairs celebrates Transgender Day of Visibility

The Civic Fund is proud to partner with the City of Baltimore to recognize the strength of the LGBTQ+ community during Pride and every day

On March 31, the Baltimore Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ+ Affairs hosted Trans Day of Visibility 2024, an event that brought together trans-identified professionals, artists, and community members to honor and recognize the contributions of trans people in Baltimore and beyond.

Trans Day of Visibility is an international day of acknowledgement of the trans community, started in 2009 by activist Rachel Crandall. She wanted a day that celebrates trans people, separate from Transgender Day of Remembrance, which honors the memory of the trans people whose lives were lost in acts of anti-transgender violence. Instead, the Day of Visibility marks the diversity and vibrancy of living transgender people. 

For Alexis Blackmon, director of the Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ+ Affairs, that meant showing that trans people can be and do anything. The event featured a panel of professionals from many walks of life who identify as transgender or non-binary, including Ronnie Taylor, chief of staff to delegate Kris Fair; Iya Dammons of Maryland Safe Haven; Lee Blinder of Trans Maryland; Keyanna Deveraux of FreeState Justice; Amber Van Horne, director of trans and gender non-conforming services at Pride Center; and Monique Carter, an icon in ballroom and Baltimore City LGBTQ mother. Also featured were several performers, including a spoken word artist, from the trans community. 

“We want young people to know they have positive role models – that they can have careers in whatever they choose,” said Alexis. “We are saying to them: we’ve been through this, and there are positive choices. It can get better.”

The Baltimore Civic Fund serves as a fiscal sponsor for special events hosted by the Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ+ Affairs, like this year’s Trans Day of Visibility. Drawing on funds provided by both philanthropic organizations and individuals, the Civic Fund helped the team at the Office of LGBTQ+ Affairs compensate speakers and performers. 

“We want to show the beauty and positivity of this community. There are transgender people in many different professional roles, and this was a showcase of the diversity and strength,” said Alexis.

As Baltimore celebrates Pride this June, the Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ+ Affairs is hosting multiple events to celebrate the diversity community in Baltimore City, including the Baltimore Pride Parade on Saturday, June 15; Baltimore Trans Pride on Saturday, June 29; and Pride in Da Harbor throughout Pride weekend. 

Community members can also support the Office of LGBTQ+ Affairs and the Civic Fund by visiting our website. Happy Pride!