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

In Macedonia, TransFormA has been organizing the March of Visibility for the seventh year in a row. But this year, just two weeks after the tragedy in Kocani, we cannot march with hearts wrapped in pain.

This is not an invisibility choice. On the contrary, our voice, our struggle, and our solidarity remain strong. But we do not want to walk the streets as if nothing had 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 ourselves. That’s why we call for solidarity and mutual care – because they keep us alive when the system abandons us.

Although we will not march this year, we will not be silent. We will speak out, standing alongside with all those who seek justice, with all those who want a system that values ​​human lives equally.

Visibility is vital in the fight for our rights. In a society like Macedonia, where stereotypes and prejudices still have a strong impact, visibility is a challenge that exposes misconceptions and creates space for acceptance. For seven years in a row, the March of 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, misinformation, and hatred. Their rhetoric aims to undermine our rights and the dignity of trans people. We must resist this harmful agenda and support true family values ​​– empathy, understanding, and unconditional love.

Family values ​​do not entail hatred, exclusion or non-acceptance of diversity. They entail support, respect and inclusiveness for every individual, regardless of their gender identity. As a society, we have a shared responsibility to ensure that transgender people have the same rights and opportunities as everyone else. We need to stand up to prejudice and discrimination, wherever they occur.

On this day, we appeal to the entire public: let’s try together to accept trans people as equal members of society, deserving of love, respect, and protection. Let’s advocate for a future where we can live authentically, without fear of violence or discrimination.

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

Always bear in mind: Trans rights are human rights.