Vibrant Visibility
By Bailey Stover, Keene Sentinel (New Hampshire)
March 27, 2026
Bodies twisted, spun and jived under pink and blue lights Thursday as community members danced together during a Transgender Day of Visibility concert in Keene.
For the past three years, the free event, which is a collaboration between Antioch University New England and Keene Pride, has taken place on the graduate school’s campus. This year, however, the celebration moved to Madame Sherri’s on Main Street. International Transgender Day of Visibility is Tuesday.
Kate Evarts, Antioch’s Center for Diversity and Social Justice director and the interim co-chair of the school’s clinical psychology department, said holding the concert at an LGBTQ-affirming community space is “a fun way to be integrated into the community.”
In front of a sparkling backdrop, indie pop rock artist Olivia Nied, who is autistic and transgender, performed a mix of original compositions and covers on stage. The musician from Turners Falls, Mass., said they draw from their own life in their songwriting. “The music that I write, and performing, is the most direct way to my heart and my soul and what I feel,” Nied said. “It truly is the most genuine version of myself is on stage. It’s where I feel the most free.” Nied said they strive to communicate “radical joy” through their music.
For both the queer and autistic communities right now, Nied said she has noticed a pervasive narrative in broader society pushing for people to change who they are. She said she hopes people leave at the end of the night with a deeper understanding that differences should be embraced rather than judged. “Listen to the people with lived experiences because they know it best,” Nied said.
With Nied’s music reverberating around the room, people chatted and engaged with various crafting stations. People could make friendship bracelets or participate in mindful coloring using coloring sheets promoting gender equity. They could also write notes for Nied as a way to express their appreciation for her performance.
Evarts said Antioch’s Affinity Group for LGBTQ+ Visibility spent a long time planning which crafts they would offer. For her, the artistic outlets offered attendees a safe way to process their emotions, connect with themselves creatively and even, perhaps, heal from trauma.
Supporting childlike play was one way Evarts said she tried to encourage those in attendance to tap into the parts of themselves they may have shut down or minimized in response to trauma.
“I’m thinking about minority stress and how are trans folks coping right now? Where are they finding joy, too?” she said. “It’s not just about resilience and being strong. It’s like, ‘Where are you finding joy?’ So the creativity part really helps tap into that.”
Evarts said she hopes the event, at least for two hours, allowed people to experience freedom from judgment while promoting community building.
“There’s a new era as a backlash to the really strong anti-trans agenda and anti-gay agenda,” she said. “There seems to be a new era of empathy across straight-gay alliance, including among cis men, and I think that that is a beautiful thing to be found. It’s a diamond in the rough of a very rough year.”
At a scrapbooking station near the room’s entrance, Evarts had instant cameras available so people could take pictures, mount them on cardstock and hang them on string lights near the sound booth. Evarts said she then plans to take the photographs and create a display that will hang in Antioch’s halls for the whole year.
“Visibility is not one day,” she said. “It should really be year round.”