Speaking to the crowd gathered at College Green Park in downtown Iowa City for the Transgender Day of Visibility (TDOV) rally on Tuesday, Katie Freeman began by talking about the sounds — shouts, chants, angry and despairing screams — they heard in protests inside the Iowa State Capitol last year as Republican lawmakers voted to […]
Trans Day of Visibility
‘I can’t get a passport in this country right now’: Iowa City marks Transgender Day of Visibility in the shadow of anti-trans state, national laws
Approximately 100 people gathered at College Green Park in Iowa City on Tuesday for a rally to mark this year’s International Transgender Day of Visibility (TDOV). “Visibility is power. Visibility is defiance,” Mandi Remington, founder and director of Corridor Community Action Network (CCAN) and a member of the Johnson County Board of Supervisors, told the […]
Responding to the moment, Iowa City’s Transgender Day of Visibility expands to seven days of shows, support groups and direct action
This year has seen a sustained assault on the rights of transgender people from the Trump administration and in Iowa, which became the first state ever to erase part of its civil rights act. Republicans in the Legislature pushed through a bill that eliminated protections on the basis of gender identity, which had been added […]
Photos: The Southeast Iowa Trans Day of Visibility Rally at College Green Park
Photos from the SE Iowa Trans Day of Visibility Rally at College Green Park in Iowa City on Sunday, March 31. The celebration featured speakers, community organizations, and a performance by the Quire.
Trans Day of Visibility 2024 in Iowa City includes a variety show, art workshop and rally featuring the JoCo7
There will be a rally on Sunday to celebrate Trans Day of Visibility at College Green Park in Iowa City, featuring speakers discussing the issues facing transgender Iowans, as well as a performance by the Quire of Eastern Iowa. The Southeast Iowa Trans Day of Visibility (TDOV) is one of the celebrations that will be […]
‘Our joy is resistance’: Des Moines church to host fourth Trans Lives Festival on March 30
Within the first weeks of 2024 and the current Iowa legislative session, dozens of bills were introduced posing threats to the safety, healthcare access and legal recognition of transgender, nonbinary and gender nonconforming children and adults. As the fight against these bills continues to rage inside the State Capitol, the First Unitarian Church of Des […]
Making noise: Three Iowa musicians and trans activists discuss arrests, protest art and keeping the faith during a dire legislative session
Sarahann Kolder is an Iowa City-based artist working primarily with writing, music and video. She works at Prairie Lights. m (emma) denney is a sound artist, electronic musician, writer, and sometimes lies about being a composer. She makes noise, drone music, and long-form experimental art. Harry Manaligod (she/her) is a rapper, producer, painter, local fool, […]
Amid an anti-LGBTQ culture war in Iowa schools, the GSA is a safe space — with constitutional protections
If you’ve seen a student-organized drag show or queer rights protest over the past couple decades, odds are a GSA is behind it. GSAs — gender-sexuality alliances — serve as both social clubs and advocacy orgs for LGBTQ students, those questioning their identity and straight, cisgender allies in middle school, high school and college, and […]
Photos: Des Moines salons and barbershops offer free hair services to trans and nonbinary students
Legislation making its way to Gov. Kim Reynolds’ desk has LGBTQ Iowans concerned for their future in the state. Owner of Elevencherry Salon, Lindsey Mollenhauer, thought of a new way to encourage gender expression with free haircuts and hair color. She calls the project I AM ME. Offering free hair services is her way of […]
Photo Gallery: Families gather for the Trans Day of Visibility Rally in Iowa City
Approximately 50 people gathered on the Public Space One Close House lawn for the Trans Day of Visibility on Saturday, April 2. The event was hosted by the LGBTQ Iowa Archives and Library, which will soon reopen its doors at the Close House. Speakers condemned the recent waves of anti-trans legislation in Iowa, including the […]
One Iowa among organizations to benefit from Ariana Grande’s trans youth fundraiser
In light of the International Transgender Day of Visibility and recent anti-trans legislation proposed and passed in states around the country, pop star Ariana Grande announced on Thursday the launch of her Protect & Defend Trans Youth Fund, to support 18 LGBTQ+ organizations that are “providing direct services and advocating for the rights of trans […]
UI Trans Alliance celebrates Transgender Day of Visibility — with puppies
Since 2010, March 31 has been celebrated as Transgender Day of Visibility, a complement to the Transgender Day of Remembrance (Nov. 20) that focuses on magnifying rather than memorializing. At the University of Iowa, the UI Trans Alliance will be getting into the spirit of the day with their first ever Trans Day of Visibility Panel at the IMU, with therapy dogs facilitating a welcoming, open atmosphere.

