Trans Day of Visibility

By Heather Vickery on March 29, 2024

This year, the Trans Day of Visibility (TDOV) falls on the same day as Easter. Some might think this is an awkward coincidence as often the most vocal opponents to trans liberation are conservative Christians and Easter is Christianity’s most sacred holiday. However, Unitarian Universalists and other progressive people of faith can celebrate these two holy days together through the lens of Queer and Feminist Theology.

The purpose of the International Transgender Day of Visibility is to truly celebrate the inherent worth of trans people, honor their contributions to society, and raise awareness of the oppression faced by this community worldwide. Many trans and gender expansive individuals throughout history, and currently, have been instrumental in leading social change movements and in creating the beloved community for us all. What if Jesus was considered one of them?

In “Trans-Formed by the Spirit: How the Doctrine of Miraculous Conception Reveals Jesus to Be an Intersex Trans Man,” Georgia Day provides a queer reading of the doctrine of the miraculous conception and of Jesus himself that shows that Christianity is not by definition transphobic, and that we can push back against those oppressive narratives as people of faith. The short version of the argument offered by Day is that if you accept the premise of the doctrine of Mary’s conception of Jesus via the Holy Spirit, then Jesus did not have any Y chromosomes, which he would have gotten from a human father. Instead, he is an intersex trans man, as he would be chromosomally considered female with two X chromosomes, but phenotypically (by outer appearance) fully male.

In these times of rising fascist threats against our trans and gender expansive beloveds, it is important to explore alternative perspectives on Jesus and the divine. Especially as many of the arguments used to oppress trans and queer communities come from the religious right and are based on an oppressive reading of the Christian scriptures.

Maybe the fact that Easter and TDOV fall on the same day this year is a signal to us all to remember, whether we are Christian or not, that Jesus was a radical change maker who refused to deny anyone’s full humanity. He undoubtedly would be taking risks to support his trans and gender expansive siblings and causing good trouble to bring the beloved community to our here and now.

Visit www.PinkHaven.org to learn about the Pink Haven Coalition and how you can support trans liberation and resist fascism in honor of the Trans Day of Visibility and Easter.

Image Credit: cunaplus