WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah — Tuesday’s Supreme Court ruling happened to coincide with Utah’s Transgender Day of Visibility.
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It was the second annual event happening at the Utah Cultural Celebration Center.
Whether you are trans, know or love someone who is, or are just an ally, that was the place to be.
Project Rainbow and the Utah Trans Plus Coalition sponsored the event, and organizers said it’s no accident that it was held in West Valley City.
“For all of our siblings in the trans community, it’s a really scary time right now," said Mia Allen with Project Rainbow Utah.
But Allen said the event in the cultural center, in Utah’s second-largest city, is meant to be a welcoming and safe space.
“Especially here in West Valley City. It’s an important part of the valley where we have people from many different backgrounds, different races, different origin stories of how they ended up living here," Allen said.
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And, according to Alex Del Rosario, trans people belong there. He’s with the Utah Trans Coalition and said West Valley City welcomed them.
“I think most events for the trans community is in Salt Lake City, so it’s nice to let other folks know that we’re here and we’re everywhere," he said.
Mishandi Sarhan grew up in Utah County. She said finding her proverbial tribe and now attending events like Transgender Day of Visibility mean everything to her.
“I definitely felt like an odd one out," Sarhan said. "My political views didn’t align, my gender identity didn’t align, and just a lot of the things I believed, and did not align with the predominant faith and the predominant people here. So really finding a community that made me feel less alone, definitely life-changing.”
The event features vendors and resources like a food bank and addiction recovery services, along with breakout workshops like ballroom dancing.
Organizers say this is not just for them, but also for the next generation — especially in the current political climate, Del Rosario said.
“We’ve seen a lot of anti-trans legislation, both across the country and in this state, that target our youth," he said. "And it’s really important that they know that we’re here for them and we’ll always keep fighting for them.”
Allen said she’s already looking forward to next year’s celebration.
“It’s been such an honor to be part of bringing events like this here in Utah, where sometimes growing up, you might feel alone if you don’t fit in with what you are seeing all around you," she said.
