Liverpool City Region set to celebrate Transgender Day of Visibility 2023 

The Liverpool City Region is set to celebrate Transgender Day of Visibility (TDoV) 2023 with a programme of events running from Thursday 30th March to Sunday 2nd April.

Transgender Day of Visibility – TDoV is an annual international event that takes place on 31st March each year and is dedicated to celebrating Trans people and raising awareness of discrimination they face worldwide.

Liverpool’s celebrations will begin on Thursday 30th March, with an opening night of music and performance at Lovelocks Coffee Shop, presented by Spirit Level Trans Support Group and supported by Homotopia and Writing on the Wall (WoW).

Friday 31st March will see a wellbeing and self-care workshop at ‘You’re Safe Here’ accredited venue Lush Liverpool Spa on Church Street, where guests can get expert tips from the Lush team in a safe and welcoming environment.

The Museum of Liverpool will host its annual TDoV celebrations on Saturday 1st April, with a full programme of activities running from 10am – 4pm, including banner making workshops led by local artist Lo Tierney, performances and readings from participants in a local creative writing competition for trans and non-binary people, a marketplace and Jollyboat, by GYRO and THE Action Youth, a takeover event and programme created by and for trans and non-binary young people.

The museum’s programme will also see the launch of a brand-new project celebrating Trans voices. TReasured is a collaborative online artwork inspired by creative artist and transgender provocateur Mandy Romero’s personal archive accumulated over 35 years. An anthology of short films, original writing, and photography will link together with collected ephemera from her numerous productions, projects, and memories to create an interactive poetry of transgender. 

The artwork has been developed alongside artists, web designers, a filmmaker, archivist and a literary mentor, creating an ever-growing encyclopedia that will inspire new performances.

Mandy Romero said: 

‘It’s a way of gathering together all the things I’ve collected over the years that relate to and in some senses just express what it is all about to be trans, to transition, to transform and to do the adventurous things in the world that have to do with gender – TReasured brings together a lot of very diverse information and perspectives and testimony and images and trivia and brings it all together to create a real sense of what the world of trans is all about. It’s a switchback ride through a fairground of perspectives on things and journeys – so you make up your own understanding of what it is that trans is all about.”

On Sunday 2nd April, the Walker Art Gallery will host a Yoga & Social for Liverpool Trans Day of Visibility (11am – 1pm) and Lisbon Liverpool will host a Pool Together Tournament for Liverpool TDoV  2023 and informal get-together and pool tournament to bring communities and allies together, funded as part of LCR Pride Foundation’s Get Out Get Active programme.A TDoV film festival is also planned, with further announcements soon to be made.

Lily Rose Hunt, Chair of Liverpool TDoV, said: 

“The weekend will be packed full of activity to help to raise awareness around transgender people. Our culture, our diversity, our struggles, our strengths, and our amazing sense of community. There really will be something for everyone of all ages, backgrounds, and interests – from yoga to pool, banner making workshops to interesting talks from influential trans people with stories to tell like Mandy Romeo. 

“TDoV is so important as it is the one day that our gender diverse communities get to celebrate our existence and diversity together. It helps to increase acceptance towards our community in society and raise awareness which is so important. Particularly at the moment when anti trans hate is on the rise. Therefore, we need to push back on that and show our strength, resilience, and joy more than ever.”

Andi Herring, CEO and Co-founder of LCR Pride Foundation added: 

“Liverpool has a proud tradition of marking TDoV and celebrating our Trans and Non-Binary siblings in recent years, with the scale and impact of the event growing.

“As Trans people in the UK and globally continue to face appalling and increasing levels of violence, abuse and prejudice, this celebration is more vital than ever. Led by and created for the Trans community, it is an important platform for local Trans people, from which they can be seen and heard, and we are honoured and excited to be supporting the fantastic work of TDoV Liverpool and its city partners.”

For the full Liverpool TDoV 2023 programme and further announcements about events, visit www.liverpooltdov.org or follow Liverpool TDoV on Facebook