31-03-2025
Area groups host picnic and rally ahead of Transgender Day of Visibility
JOPLIN, Mo. — Joplin's LGBTQ community gets a head start on Transgender Day of Visibility this afternoon.
JOMO Pride and Joplin for Justice hosted a picnic and rally at Cunningham Park, with free hot dogs, trivia, and bingo.
Political experts with Promo Missouri were there to educate attendees about anti-transgender legislation scheduled for hearings in the Missouri legislature this week.
Some bills discussed include a ban on gender-affirming health care, barring trans athletes from playing sports, and restricting access to public restrooms.
'Southwest Missouri All for Love and Love for All' and 'Free Mom Hugs – Missouri' also came out today to celebrate and show their support for the trans community.
Celebrating Trans Visibility Day
'This is close to my heart. I have a trans daughter, and when I found out about Free Mom Hugs, I found a new home,' said Victoria Morris, Free Mom Hugs Missouri.
'How are you going to be comfortable with them if you keep them at an arm's distance and don't actually engage with them and stuff like that? So that's a big thing about being visible. LGBTQ community being visible, the trans community being visible, to let people know we are here, we're in your community, we're human,' said Ron Burch, JOMO Pride co-chair.
According to GLAAD, International Transgender Day of Visibility was established in 2010, and is celebrated every year on March 31.
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