Tre’Andre’s Trans Day of Visibility Speech at the MA State House!
Visibility must come with action.
My name is Tre’Andre Carmel Valentine. I am the executive director of the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition, the oldest active trans advocacy organization in the Nation. I am honored to be here today at the Massachusetts State House on Trans Day of Visibility, a day where we uplift the beauty, brilliance, and resilience of trans and nonbinary people everywhere.
I stand here on the shoulders and graves of those who came before. Trans people, femmes and nonbinary people, black and brown people, who risked their lives in their unapologetic authenticity, in their pain, in their joy, in their complexity, in their resistance and dare to dream bigger because we deserve better…we deserve more.
Visibility is powerful; but it is not the end goal, and it is not always met with open arms. In fact for some of us, visibility is a death sentence. For me, visibility is a step. And with every step, we carry the legacies of those who came before us and the responsibility to fight for those who are still being left behind.
Here in Massachusetts, we’ve made incredible strides. We’ve passed statewide legal protections, advanced healthcare access, and built stronger networks of trans-led organizations doing life-saving work. But progress is not equity, and policy is not safety.
While it is important to acknowledge and celebrate these gains, too many of us still struggle to survive.
Trans youth are being targeted in classrooms and courtrooms. Trans elders face isolation and inadequate care. Black and Brown trans people are disproportionately impacted by violence, poverty, and housing instability. Disabled and immigrant trans people face systemic barriers just to access the most basic rights. Right here in MA, resources for trans people 25 and older are practically nonexistent. Our healthcare system lacks knowledgeable gender affirming healthcare providers, much less providers who understand how to interact with a trans person. And far too many of us are forced to navigate these struggles alone.
Visibility must come with action. It must be met with investment in housing, healthcare, education, and employment that centers the most marginalized among us. It must include protections for asylum-seeking trans people fleeing violence. It must mean real safety — not just from anti-trans legislation, but from public antagonism and violence, and all the systems that aim to criminalize and eradicate our existence. Visibility must come with action, otherwise all of this is just for performance!
So today, I ask each of you, allies, legislators, neighbors, to not only see us, but to stand beside us and mobilize with us. To fund and resource us. To listen to trans people — especially Black trans women, disabled trans people, trans immigrants, youth, and elders — and to follow our leadership.
We are not asking for tolerance; we do not need your acceptance. We are demanding a future where trans people have equitable access, resources and opportunities to live, lead, and thrive, freely and fully.
