Today marks the International Transgender Day of Visibility, an annual event celebrated globally to recognize the accomplishments of transgender individuals in society and culture. This observance originated in 2009, established by trans activist Rachel Crandall Crocker, and received formal recognition from President Joe Biden in March 2021.

In observance of the day, Mission Local connected with several San Francisco-based activists, artists, and community leaders who are actively working to increase trans visibility within the city and beyond its borders.

Cal Calamia: Championing Non-Binary Inclusion in Athletics

Marathon Success as a Platform for Advocacy

San Francisco athlete, poet, and activist Cal Calamia recently secured first place in the non-binary division of the Los Angeles Marathon, finishing with a time of 2:49:17. This marks their second victory in the race after also winning in 2024, having only entered the competition twice.

Calamia stated, “It’s always amazing to perform well athletically because it gives me the platform to speak up about issues that I care about, like trans rights.” Calamia, who uses both they and he pronouns, has been a vocal advocate for trans and non-binary inclusion in sports since 2022.

Driving Change in Major Races

Calamia’s efforts led to the successful establishment of an award category for non-binary runners in San Francisco’s annual “Bay to Breakers” race. Since then, their advocacy has contributed to the introduction of non-binary divisions in major U.S. races, including the Boston Marathon and the San Francisco Marathon.

Furthermore, in 2025, Calamia achieved a significant milestone by becoming the first non-binary runner to podium across all six Abbott World Marathon Majors: Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago, and New York City.

Growing the Community

Although participation numbers in non-binary divisions remain relatively low, Calamia is dedicated to increasing them. The LA Marathon saw 38 non-binary finishers in 2024, rising to 268 in 2025—the highest count since the category began in 2021—though this year saw just over 100 participants.

Calamia reflected on their early success, noting, “When I first started advocating for these divisions, I was having my own athletic success... I felt like I wanted more of that community piece.” Their related advocacy group now boasts 500 national mailing list members, with 150 active members locally.

Speaking to their 103,000 Instagram followers, Calamia shared that they often receive positive responses from young people and parents of trans children. “I want to change trans people’s minds if they think that they don’t belong somewhere,” they asserted, hoping their presence encourages others to occupy spaces they previously avoided.

Per Sia: Merging Education and Drag as City Laureate

Finding Peace in Authenticity

Per Sia vividly recalls the nervousness of co-leading the inaugural Drag Story Hour in 2015, where drag performers read to children in public venues. As an educator and drag performer, this event marked a turning point.

She described the feeling as being “the most happy, but also the most at peace ever,” because, for the first time, her worlds merged: “my love of the classroom and my love of drag were in one room.” Prior to this, her life as a teaching assistant and her life as a drag performer were kept separate.

From Photographer to Drag Laureate

Per Sia initially discovered drag as a photographer in Los Angeles, admiring queens but staying behind the camera. After moving to San Francisco for photography studies at the San Francisco Art Institute, she tried performing “sort of as a joke” and became “hooked.”

She has since held residencies at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco and the Oakland Museum of California, while also working as an after-school arts educator. She also had a residency at the Mission district institution El Rio before it closed in 2014.

Spreading Joy Despite Adversity

In 2023, the Mayor’s office created the role of Drag Laureate, and Per Sia became the first trans woman appointed to this position. Her duties include serving as the city’s ambassador for LGBTQ culture, drag performance, and nightlife, following selection by a committee including Mayor Daniel Lurie.

This platform allows her to address politicians directly. In her acceptance speech, she promised to champion joy, stating, “I will keep bringing my joy, my brown joy, my queer joy, all the joy.” As a trans woman, educator, and daughter of Mexican immigrants, she focuses on what she can control: spreading “trans joy.”

One visible method she uses is commuting to performances in full drag via public transportation. “That’s my way of bringing trans visibility to the everyday,” she explained, noting the wonderful conversations she has with fellow commuters.

Nathaniel Bice: Painting the City’s Landscape

A Shift to En Plein Air Painting

Nathaniel Bice has dedicated the last six years to capturing San Francisco’s streets, landmarks, and storefronts through painting. This artistic shift began in 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic halted theater work, as Bice was previously a set designer.

Drawing on his background, Bice started painting city scenes en plein air. He moved to San Francisco in 2018 after studying performance production in Seattle and completing a fellowship at the American Conservatory Theatre.

Navigating Queer and Art Spaces

Bice found community and support for his transition in San Francisco’s queer scene, becoming involved with the Bay Area collective of trans and gender non-conforming artists. The collective recently marked Trans Day of Having a Nice Snack on March 28, encouraging donations to support trans and GNC people.

Bice admitted feeling “suspended in between those two worlds,” as his work often does not explicitly feature queer themes, making him worry about fitting into queer art circles. Simultaneously, he faces typical barriers accessing established art spaces due to age and identity.

First Solo Exhibition

Bice recently concluded his first solo exhibition at Queer Arts Featured, which explored the Castro’s history through acrylic paintings of its iconic neon signs. He previously felt anxiety that his art, which focused on San Francisco landscapes, wasn't visibly queer.

“A lot of people who do queer art will do stuff that you look at it and you know that it’s queer art,” Bice noted, “And that’s just not the work that I’m drawn to making myself.”

Kiki Lopez: Building a Drag Career in San Francisco

Finding Home and Career

Kiki Lopez arrived in San Francisco in the summer of 2022, performing a grounding ritual by touching the soil, which she remembers as feeling “very embracing, very motherly.” Originally from the Philippines, Lopez has since established a career in the city’s drag scene, finding protection, love, and community.

Lopez began performing drag during the pandemic in the Philippines, where her alter ego, Mx. Crunch, started as a “bedroom queen.” Her first professional performance in San Francisco was in September 2022 at The Edge in the Castro.

Advocacy and Community Leadership

After securing more opportunities through local performers and producers, Lopez won a pageant contest organized by GAPA, an organization advocating for queer Asian and Pacific Islanders, in 2023. She called this award life-changing due to the doors it opened.

In 2024, Lopez became the co-matriarch of “Mabuhay Bitches,” a drag group comprising 10 Tagalog-speaking performers in the Bay Area. They perform monthly at Midnight Sun in the Castro. Lopez recently stepped down as San Francisco’s 2025-2026 Imperial Crown Princess on March 28, a title awarded by the Imperial Council of San Francisco.