The county and Miami Beach declared March 31 as countywide Transgender Day of Visibility during a ceremony this past weekend, enshrining the day on a local level following President Joe Biden's national proclamation.
The city also unveiled a memorial plaque that capped off the November 2022 dedication of a tree to Trans Day of Remembrance, located at the northwest corner of Pride Park on Meridian Avenue and 19th Street. The dedication was established in partnership with local organizations TransSocial and The McKenzie Project alongside Miami-Dade County Commissioner Eileen Higgins, Miami Beach Commissioners David Richardson and Alex Fernandez, and Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber.
Higgins said the measures reemphasize Miami-Dade’s commitment to support and protect all residents as anti-transgender legislation sweeps the state. She said she's opposed to Gov. Ron DeSantis’ recent efforts to politicize and restrict transgender healthcare, education, and physical expression.
"We are here to make sure you know this is a great place for you to live, no matter what other people up north are saying and doing," Higgins said at the press conference, referencing legislators in Tallahassee. "You are welcomed. You are loved. You are safe."
At least 16 bills that directly or indirectly target trans individuals have been introduced in Florida this year alone, according to Equality Florida.
Among other bills, S.B. 1674 would bar many transgender people from using their preferred restrooms in restaurants, hotels, and other public spaces. H.B. 1421, meanwhile, would prohibit individuals from changing their gender on birth certificates and ban insurance coverage for gender-transition services.
The proposed legislation comes at a moment in which anti-trans sentiment is brewing across the country, as has been evident by waves of far-right and extremist group protests over the last six months outside LGBTQ events. The latest available data from the FBI shows that hate crimes against transgender and gender non-conforming people rose 29 percent year-over-year to 342 incidents in 2021.
Commissioner David Richardson presents the Trans Day of Visibility proclamation with Commissioner Alex Fernandez and Mayor Dan Gelber to Camille Lewis, Morgan Mayfaire, and Jasmine McKenzie (left to right)
Photo by Jesse Fraga
Black trans and gender non-conforming women face some of the highest rates of discrimination in the United States, according to the National Transgender Discrimination Survey.
"We have to remove the racist antics in the LGBTQ community first, then fight together to erase it out of our state," McKenzie said.
McKenzie also condemned DeSantis’ attempt to block an AP African American studies class and his support for legislation that does away with books tackling critical race theory, gender, and sexuality.
"We shouldn’t have to live in a world where we are breathing while Black and scared," McKenzie said.
Attendee Jay Aurazo hopes the county’s observance of Trans Day of Visibility will raise awareness of realities he and many other trans youth face, such as homelessness and pressure from family to undergo conversion therapy.
The 23-year-old fled his family home three years ago after his parents sent him to a pastor in Oregon in an attempt to “change, or alter” his gender identity, he says.
"I had to hide my Jordans and chains in my car because it seemed too masculine, and I couldn’t medically transition. I lived a double life," Aurazo tells New Times. "My mother vomited during an argument because I’m transgender, so I got my stuff, I left, and I never saw her again."
Aurazo, who now works as an airport passenger service agent, couch-surfed for months until friends helped him find a safe, permanent home.
"It’s been hard, but you find chosen family along the way, people who understand," Aurazo says. "Hopefully other counties will follow."
