Trans Day of Visibility falls on Monday 31 March 2025, and the LGBTQ+ community takes this day to celebrate and honour trans and non-binary communities around the world. During a challenging year for trans people worldwide, with US president signing several anti-LGBTQ+ executive orders targeting the trans community, and the UK walking back on gender-affirming care for trans youth, it’s important to celebrate the “wins” for the community alongside fighting for change. Last year, hundreds of positive stories of the power of trans visibility, trans joy, and trans protection were published. Here are some of PinkNews’ favourites from the past 12 months to mark Trans Day of Visibility 2025. Nikki Hiltz took to the Olympics Non-binary athlete Nikki Hiltz raced in the 1500m final at the Paris 2024 Olympics, coming seventh. The 30-year-old middle distance runner, who founded an annual charity race called Pride 5k that has raised over $172,000 for The Trevor Project since starting in 2020, competed in the Olympics, using their platform to stand up against “ignorance and hate” directed at trans athletes. “Anti-trans rhetoric is anti-woman. These people aren’t ‘protecting women’s sports’, they are enforcing rigid gender norms, and anyone who doesn’t fit perfectly into those norms is targeted and vilified,” they wrote in an Instagram post during the Olympics. Nemo made Eurovision history Singer Nemo from Switzerland made Eurovision history in 2024 as the first non-binary winner of the competition with their track The Code, which explores their journey towards understanding and accepting their identity. In an interview with AP ahead of the competition’s semi-final, Nemo spoke about how “beautiful” it is to be a non-binary artist on one of the world’s biggest music stages. “Knowing they like a song where I am unconditionally myself, and I talk about the journey of finding myself and being non-binary, and knowing that it touches them… [is] really beautiful,” they explained. Sarah McBride became the first ever trans congresswoman Delaware Democrat Sarah McBride became the first ever out trans member of congress in January after the US election. The 34-year-old made history as the first trans person to be sworn into the US House of Representatives, and has stood up for trans rights since taking office. “The Republican party is obsessed with culture war issues,” McBride said in March, slamming right-wingers pushing anti-LGBTQ+ legislation. “The American people deserve serious legislators [and] serious elected officials who are focused on bringing people together to deliver real results for the American people.” Trans people bravely fought for their rights In 2024 and 2025, trans and non-binary people bravely banded together to protest for their rights – from staging “die-in” protests to fight the UK government’s ban on puberty blockers, to demonstrating against trans bathroom bans, to pushing back against US president Donald Trump’s discriminatory executive orders. “I know what it’s like to feel pushed aside and erased. But I also know the incredible power and resilience our community has,” Chelsea Manning stated after being arrested for protesting anti-trans bathroom bans in December 2024. She added that she would “stand beside [the trans community] no matter what. We didn’t start this fight, but we are together now.” Model Alex Consani made fashion history In December, model Alex Consani made history by becoming the first out trans woman to win Model of the Year at the 2024 Fashion Awards. The 21-year-old had already broken records by becoming one of two first-ever out trans models to walk the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, also making waves by appearing in a Charli XCX music video and walking for Hugo Boss, Burberry and Chloé. Accepting her award, Consani thanked “those who came before me, specifically the Black trans women who really fought for the space I’m in today – Dominique Jackson, Connie Fleming, Aaron Rose Phillips and countless more who fought for the space that allowed me to flourish today.” Dylan Mulvaney became a bestselling author After being subjected to extreme transphobia online, influencer Dylan Mulvaney enjoyed some much-deserved success, releasing her debut book Paper Doll: Notes from a Late Bloomer in March, and instantly reaching the New York Times bestseller list. The book explores her first year of transitioning, as well as rediscovering trans joy “after extreme pain”. “They hate to see a trans woman winning,” Mulvaney joked on Instagram after making the bestseller list. “The dolls, we stay winning.” The community spoke out against rising transphobia While rising anti-LGBTQ+ and anti-trans sentiment made headlines in the last year, trans and non-binary celebrities and activists used their platforms to protect and support the wider community. “As trans people our identities have been criminalised, and we found ways to have community, to have joy, and to be ourselves,” Laverne Cox said in a defiant interview speaking about Donald Trump’s re-election. Elliot Page added: “We are at a time in history where the rights of LGBTQ2+ people are being revoked, restricted and eliminated throughout the world, and the effects are devastating.” Trans artist Brogan Bertie won a prestigious award Trans artist Brogan Bertie was named Portrait Artist of the Year in December, earning a £10,000 commission to paint Lorraine Kelly. Bertie explained that transitioning meant he was able to paint portraits with more “openness”. “Before I transitioned, there’s a film between you and everyone else, even if you’re not aware of it. There’s something that you’re always editing,” he explained. “There’s a realness that I didn’t have before. I think that’s such a strength of transitioning.” TV fans raised thousands for trans youth In March, fans of the beloved show Our Flag Means Death raised more than $85,000 (£66,300) to help queer and trans youth, despite the pirate romp being cancelled. A craft fair created by fans of the TV show aimed to raise money for the Campaign for Southern Equality’s Trans Youth Emergency Project. With the creator of the series, David Jenkins, promoting the fair and donating several props from the show, it ended up raising thousands for a fund in desperate need of cash. Trans and non-binary actors continued to kill it Trans and non-binary actors continued to provide much-needed representation this year, and with trans characters representing only 5 per cent of characters across TV and film in 2023 to 2024, that representation is crucial. There was trans joy: Laverne Cox starred as a trans New Yorker who relocates back to Alabama to repair her relationship with her father in Clean Slate. And for slightly darker watches: Trans actor Mary Malone was praised as a “revelation” in Netflix thriller Missing You. The ‘demure’ TikTok broke the internet Lastly, a whimsical TikTok by trans influencer Jools Lebron well and truly broke the internet, with her “demure” meme making such a wave the word was named a dictionary’s “word of the year”. It may seem trivial to praise a TikTok meme for its impact on the trans community, but with Lebron claiming the success of the audio clip meant she was able to fund her transition, it deserves a spot on this year’s list. “One day, I was playing cashier and making videos on my break, and now I’m flying across countries to host events, and I’m gonna be able to finance the rest of my transition,” she said in a TikTok. Share your thoughts! Let us know in the comments below, and remember to keep the conversation respectful.