Washington DC—A march for Queer and Trans Youth Autonomy was joined by nearly 500 on Friday afternoon near the U.S. Capitol without incident despite a coordinated right-wing media blitz condemning it. The march was led by hundreds of Queer and Trans youth demanding the same civil access and equality under the law as is enjoyed by others in society.
The action was coordinated on Trans Day of Visibility, a global initiative to call an end to violence against the Trans and Queer community, and a moratorium to anti-Trans legislation being proposed and passed in States around the country. Marches were also held in cities across the globe.
Many youth activists spoke about their experiences and their growing anxiety of denial of access to healthcare, access to public spaces, oppression at school from legislative actions to deny their identities, and policies being enacted without their say in the policies being decided. They called on allies to join them in their quest for equality and human rights. One speaker drew on the reasoning of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., that rights denied to one segment of society threatens the rights for all.
Ryan Cassata, a Trans youth activist who has been educating the public about Trans youth rights, spoke about the bills being proposed in State legislative sessions over the past year. “This year over 435 anti-LGBTQ bills have been introduced, 21 have passed into law, and more will unfortunately pass into law. Trans youth living in states that are banning [Trans] healthcare will have to wait even longer and waiting for a life-saving surgery is impossible. These bills are violent. These bills are murderous. Healthcare is a human right,” they said.
Cassata vowed the Trans community would not stop fighting for their human rights.
On the Trans Day of Visibility there was some good news despite the spate of mounting opposition to Trans rights in States legislatures. Thomas L. Parker, A U.S. Judge of the U.S. District Court, Western District of Tennessee, granted a temporary restraining order against legislation that would criminalize performance of “adult cabaret entertainment” in places that could be viewed by a person not an adult.
The law was passed by the State Legislature and signed by Tennessee Governor Bill Lee, this month (March 2023) and would in effect prohibit Drag Queen Story Hour events. The legislation was tailored specifically to target Drag Queen participants from enjoying any public event such as family educational venues where children were present.
Judge Parker found that the State had not established any credible reason for denying the First Amendment rights of the persons affected and that it was “unconstitutional” on the basis for which it was passed.
The Tennessee District Court Ruling is here.
Another separate rally and march for Trans rights was planned for Saturday in Washington DC near the Supreme Court but was postponed due to a credible external threat of violence. Organizers determined that the public health and safety of the community was under a credible serious threat and though they had been planning the event for several months, they decided it was in the best interest of the community to postpone it to a future date.
