On March 31, people around the world celebrate the lives, resistance, and contributions of transgender people. This day is not only a moment of celebration but also a time to clearly address the marginalization, discrimination, and violence we face as a community. It is a call for justice, for change, and for solidarity.

In North Macedonia, TransFormA has been organizing the March for Visibility for seven consecutive years. However, this year, just two weeks after the tragedy in Kochani, we cannot march with hearts wrapped in grief.

This is not a choice of invisibility. On the contrary, our voice, our struggle, and our solidarity remain strong. But we cannot walk the streets as if nothing has happened. This year, we have witnessed a system that not only marginalizes us as a community but also devalues all lives. The trans community knows what it means to be abandoned, ignored, and left to fend for oneself. That is why we call for solidarity and mutual care—because these are what keep us alive when the system abandons us.

Although we will not march this year, we will not remain silent. We will address the public, standing together with all those who demand justice, with all those who seek a system that values human life equally.

Visibility is crucial in the fight for our rights. In a society like Macedonia’s, where stereotypes and prejudices still hold strong influence, visibility is a challenge that exposes misconceptions and creates space for acceptance. For seven years in a row, the March for Visibility has proven that trans people refuse to be erased or silenced. We continue to fight for a place in a society that recognizes us as an integral part of it.

However, we must not ignore the danger posed by conservative anti-gender movements that spread fear, disinformation, and hatred. Their rhetoric aims to undermine our rights and the dignity of trans people. We must resist this harmful agenda and instead support true family values—empathy, understanding, and unconditional love.

Family values do not mean hatred, exclusion, or rejection of diversity. They mean support, respect, and inclusivity for every individual, regardless of gender identity. As a society, we share a collective responsibility to ensure that transgender people have the same rights and opportunities as everyone else. We must oppose prejudice and discrimination wherever they appear.

On this day, we appeal to the public: let us come together to accept trans people as equal members of society who deserve love, respect, and protection. Let us stand for a future where we can all live authentically, without fear of violence or discrimination.

Together, we can help ensure that trans people are seen, heard, and valued like everyone else. Together, we can create a world that values all lives.

Remember: Trans rights are human rights.