Dallas, TX – Over 300 community members marched through the Dallas Oak Lawn “gayborhood,” Sunday, March 23 to protest the spread of anti-LGBTQ bills and laws sweeping the country. Attendees gathered at the Cathedral of Hope in Oak Lawn for speeches calling attention to the diverse needs of the queer and trans community in this political moment. The rally, called by Texas Latino Pride, spoke to the heightened attacks faced by trans women, disabled, Black, and brown queer and trans folks.

At the rally, Emmy-winning drag artist Lushious Massacr lifted up the contributions of trans women to the queer movement and condemned the heightened demonization of the trans community, saying, “We will never be ourselves the way they see us.” After the march in a post on Instagram, she commented, “Today was truly memorable as our community came together in solidarity, standing up for what is right. It was an honor to be surrounded by so many passionate individuals who believe in the power of unity.”

Stacey Monroe, co-lead of the Trans Empowerment Coalition, spoke, remarking, “In Texas, these state-level attacks – from book bans to bathroom bills to criminalizing healthcare to criminalizing our existence – are part of a calculated, coordinated strategy to push us back into the shadows. But we are ungovernable in the face of injustice. We are unstoppable when we organize, when we care for each other, when we refuse to back down.” She also called the crowd to attend an upcoming Trans Day of Visibility rally at Dallas City Hall on March 30 at 11 a.m.

Attendees marched from the Cathedral of Hope to the center of the gayborhood, chanting slogans such as “We are queer, we are here, we are going nowhere” and “No hate, no fear, trans people are welcome here.” Community members also highlighted previous decades of queer activism with signs and shirts emblazoned with the pink triangle of the Act Up movement, and led the crowd in chants of “Act up, fight back!”

#DallasTX #TX #LGBTQ #Trans #TEC

Colorado Springs, CO – On March 8, International Women's Day, the Colorado Springs People’s Coalition (CSPC) organized a demonstration at the Pioneer's Museum to protest Trump's reactionary agenda that attacks women and LGBTQ people and their rights. About 300 people gathered, many chanted, “Women are unstoppable, a better world is possible!”

By the early afternoon, the front of Pioneers Museum was full of signs supporting women and LGBTQ people. Palestinian flags were flown for the martyrs and survivors in Gaza, where women have had to use tent scraps and other scavenged materials as tampons. The protest emphasized justice for mothers of victims of police crimes.

Rhiannon Moon from Voces Unidas talked about how the mass incarceration system takes money from much-needed social services, stating, “The police budget has doubled over ten years, and what are the results? We wait 17 minutes for emergency vehicles and police kill our neighbors.” The march was led by a banner calling for community control of the police.

The group then marched to Jeff Crank's office. Crank is a Republican senator who has called for attacks on any group thatdoesn’t support Trump's massive ICE raids. A speaker from No Small Act gave a speech on the generational fight for women's liberation, stating, “Our grandmothers fought for our reproductive health as a constitutional right. Roe was overturned in 2022 and since then maternal mortality rates have risen in states that have anti-choice litigation.”

The group marched back to the Pioneers Museum where speeches and chants resumed into the early evening.

#ColoradoSpringsCO #IWD #ICE #Trump #WomensRights #LGBTQ

New Orleans, LA – On Saturday, March 8, about 70 people gathered in Lafayette Square in downtown New Orleans in honor of this year’s International Women’s Day.

The crowd rallied around a banner demanding “Protect women’s and trans rights! From Palestine to Mexico, end all family separations!” Several speakers from grassroots movements discussed the urgency of gender liberation and the need to carry on the legacy of resistance from the revolutionary women of the past.

Molly Frayle, a transgender activist with the Queer and Trans Community Action Project, spoke about how the holiday was organized first by working-class socialist women in the United States and Germany, and historically celebrated striking workers who sparked the February Revolution in Russia in 1917.

“They got into the streets, and they started marching,” Frayle said. “It was that very day the Russian revolution started. A whole country had a revolution because women stood up! They won the right to vote, abortion on demand, the right to divorce without their husbands permission! All that to say when we fight, we win!”

After more speeches, the crowd took to the streets. Chants of “Not the church, not the state, women will decide our fate!” and “International Women's Day, time to make the bosses pay!” filled the busy downtown thoroughfare. Protesters carried signs saying “My body, my choice!” and “Stop the deportations now!” as they marched to the Hyatt Regency, where ICE offices are located in New Orleans.

Once there, organizers spoke about the increasing terror and repression that Black, brown and immigrant communities face under the Trump administration. But they also highlighted the power of fighting back in the spirit of revolutionary women.

“Again and again, the ruling class underestimates the power of women's militancy. Women have led the labor movement, striking for real gains. Mothers of victims of police crimes have been fighting for justice – the attacks that we face are meant to intimidate, confuse us, disorganize and demoralize us. Do you know what they do instead? They light a fire in us!” said Antonia Mar, an organizer with the Freedom Road Socialist organization.

With more chants, the protesters took the streets back to Lafayette Square. Once there, organizers emphasized that this action was only the beginning and that these organizations are committed to uniting and struggling against Trump and his reactionary administration every step of the way.

#NewOrleansLA #LA #WomensMovement #LGBTQ #InternationalWomensDay #QTCAP

Across the world, International Women’s Day has always been more than a celebration – it is a day of struggle. It was forged in the fight of New York City garment workers who took to the streets in 1908, to protest the super-exploitation they endured in sweatshops as they tried to support their families: dangerous working conditions, back-breaking hours, child labor and wage theft. They marched shoulder to shoulder with the suffragettes fighting for women’s right to vote. The revolutionary hero Clara Zetkin marked March 8th as a global day of action as a way to unite women worldwide in the fight for socialism and liberation.

Today, women in all sectors of society face renewed attacks from the forces of reaction, with Trump and his cabinet full of abusers and woman-haters leading the charge against our rights. But just as we fought before, we will fight again.

Women Are Under Attack– But We Are Not Going Back

Women in America today are fighting for their lives. Trump, the same man who brags about sexual assault, dares to call himself the “protector of women.” This is a bald-faced lie. The reality is that his policies threaten the lives and freedoms of millions of women.

From the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade to the hundreds of anti-LGBTQ bills passed by state legislatures, the Trump administration and its bigoted allies are trying to roll back decades of progress. Trump’s latest executive orders bar trans women from sports, shelters and prisons, attack gender-affirming care, and strip protections in federal law for LGBTQ people.

Trump’s economic policies harm women, too. The rollback of workplace discrimination regulations and opposition to equal pay initiatives have made it harder for women to achieve wage equality. The burden on working mothers gets heavier, as we face a lack of affordable childcare and fewer jobs that pay enough to support our families. Trump’s agenda, laid out in the reactionary Project 2025, seeks to ban abortion nationwide, defund reproductive health services, and impose reactionary policies that lock women into a position of subjugation.

But we are not going back. The fight for women’s rights is a fight for consistent democracy, and the fight for democracy is part of the struggle for socialism.

Again and again, the ruling class underestimates the power of women’s militancy. Women have been at the forefront of the labor movement, leading some of the most militant strikes in the past period. Women in healthcare, hospitality and education have organized, walked out and won real gains.

Mothers whose children have been murdered by police are leading the charge against police terror, demanding justice and putting the system on trial. Women have led the fight for reproductive rights, pouring into the streets in millions to protest bans, and fighting to secure abortion access even in states that have banned it. Under Trump, immigrant women and families have faced relentless attacks, but cities have erupted in resistance, demanding stop the deportations, and standing with immigrant communities. And across the world, women are resisting imperialism. In Palestine, the Philippines, and beyond, women are on the frontlines of national liberation struggles.

International Women’s Day belongs to fighters. It belongs to those who refuse to be silenced, who take to the streets, who organize their workplaces, who defy the system that seeks to oppress them.

Build the Women’s Movement

As the communist leader Claudia Jones wrote, the struggle for socialism is inseparable from the everyday struggles of women. Historically and today, revolutionaries are on the front lines of this movement, and under socialism, women’s liberation is not just a slogan, it is a material reality. The 1917 October Revolution showed us that the Soviet Union, seeking to protect women’s health and autonomy, legalized abortion decades before any bourgeois democracies caught up.

We are not fighting for the watered-down, ‘seat at the table’ feminism of the ruling class – which upholds monopoly capitalism while giving us nothing but empty platitudes, and that makes women’s issues a personal problem instead of a problem of society. Trump’s offensive against our rights is writing on the wall: under capitalism, any rights we win can be snatched away by reaction. But what experience has also taught us is that we should never retreat when it’s time to fight back.

The attacks we face are meant to intimidate, confuse, disorganize and demoralize us. But instead, they light a fire. International Women’s Day is a chance to recommit ourselves to bringing new fighters into our revolutionary organization, and to bring this movement with us into the broader struggle to overthrow this rotten system.

This March 8, we take to the streets with our fists raised high, knowing that the struggle for women’s liberation is part and parcel of the struggle for a new world.

On International Women’s Day: Stand Up, Fight Back!

Defend Women’s and Reproductive Rights!

Defend LGBTQ and Trans Rights!

Stand with the Women of Palestine!

Stop the Deportations, Keep Families Together!

#WomensMovement #LGBTQ #FRSO #Statement #InternationalWomensDay #Feature

Por el Equipo de Trabajo del Movimiento LGBTQ y de las Mujeres de la OSCL

Parece que Trump firma cada orden ejecutiva discriminatoria antes de que se haya secado la tinta de la anterior. No se ha tardado ni se ha guardado ningún golpe al atacar a las personas trans.

Las órdenes ejecutivas más recientes incluyen retener fondos federales como rehén para prohibir que los atletas trans participen en deportes y que los niños trans reciban atención médica. Basada en pseudociencia, una orden ejecutiva declara que “es política de los Estados Unidos reconocer dos sexos”. Esto borra a los miles de personas cisgénero intersexual que viven en los Estados Unidos. La misma orden exige que se prohíba a las mujeres trans usar los baños de mujeres en edificios federales, y llama a los compañeros de trabajo a volverse unos contra otros para reportarlos. También prohíbe cambiar los marcadores de género en los pasaportes.

Trump está impulsando legislación que permitiría a los padres demandar a los proveedores médicos por ofrecer atención para afirmación de género a los niños, mientras castiga simultáneamente a los padres y trabajadores de la salud por respetar la autonomía de los jóvenes transgénero. Él también está prohibiendo que las mujeres trans usen refugios para víctimas de abuso y que sean alojadas con mujeres en las prisiones, efectivamente agravando la violencia sexual contra ellas.

Estas órdenes llegan después de cientos de proyectos de ley anti-LGBTQ introducidos por gobiernos estatales reaccionarios en un contragolpe después de la derrota de Trump en 2020. Exponen el rostro abiertamente reaccionario de un imperio en decadencia atacando, tratando de salvar el sistema opresivo del que depende.

Son la punta de lanza en un ataque total contra las mujeres y las personas LGBTQ. La orden de “dos sexos” define que el género comienza “en la concepción,” abriendo la puerta a la peligrosa noción de personalidad fetal. La prohibición de la atención para afirmación de género establece que las personas trans llevan a cabo “una guerra perdida contra sus propios cuerpos,” cuestionando tanto la autonomía corporal como el derecho de las personas a definir sus propias identidades.

La idea de que estas órdenes de alguna manera “protegen a las mujeres” es una mentira. No solo exponen a las mujeres trans y cisgénero a un escrutinio innecesario y traumático de sus cuerpos, sino que tampoco hacen nada para proteger a las mujeres de los verdaderos perpetradores de violencia. Cuando la mayoría de los ataques contra las mujeres ocurren en sus relaciones íntimas con hombres o mientras viven sus vidas en público, regular la participación de las personas trans en la vida pública es una distracción absurda de los verdaderos problemas en nuestra sociedad.

Estas órdenes también limitarán los derechos de las mujeres de nacionalidades oprimidas y de clase trabajadora. La prohibición en los deportes impide que las mujeres trans y las personas no conforme con el género entren al país, abriendo la puerta al racismo contra cualquier mujer considerada demasiado masculina. Las prohibiciones en los deportes y la atención para afirmación de género amenazan con retener los almuerzos gratis en las escuelas, así como los fondos de Medicare y Medicaid a los hospitales que no cumplan con la discriminación contra las personas transgénero.

La OSCL se opone firmemente a estas políticas reaccionarias dirigidas contra nuestros miembros trans de la comunidad. Estos ataques tienen como objetivo intimidar, confundir y abrumar. No lo permitiremos. Uniremos a todos quienes puedan unirse en contra de la agenda de Trump y del movimiento político retrógrado que él representa. Esperamos con ansias luchar en las calles.

#LGBTQ #Trans #OSCL #FRSO #Statement

Tallahassee, FL – On February 19, Tallahassee Students for a Democratic Society held a rally to celebrate the restoration of LGBTQ+ housing at Florida State University and to voice support for FSU’s queer community.

The rally included speakers from Graduate Assistants United (GAU), the Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO), the Tallahassee Community Action Committee (TCAC), Food Not Bombs, FSU Veggie Power, and Jacksonville SDS.

LGBTQ+ housing at FSU has offered safety and community for queer students since it was won by activists from SDS, Pride Student Union, and Gender Odyssey in 2021. This housing option allowed queer and trans students to fill out an interest form stating that they prefer to room with people who share or respect their identities. This did the bare minimum for LGBTQ+ students, preventing them from getting matched with homophobic and transphobic roommates.

Amid attempts by the far-right reactionary Trump administration to destroy diversity, equity and inclusion programs across the country, FSU’s administration quietly removed options for LGBTQ+ housing without warning or explanation.

Joelle Nuñez from FRSO spoke on the university's tendency to bow down to reactionaries like Donald Trump and Florida Governor Ron Desantis, stating, “FSU administration put up no fight when Desantis ordered universities to shut down their DEI programs and hid behind the excuse of ‘They made us do it.’ Nobody made them do it! And nobody made them do it this time! They tried to get rid of LGBTQ+ housing before their reactionary overlords even noticed it was there in the first place! Showing that they care more about winning points with racists than catering to students!”

Following published statements from SDS and Pride Student Union, as well as announcing plans to rally and submit public comment at the Student Senate, the FSU admin gave in and quietly restored LGBTQ+ housing. The rally, initially intended to be a protest, became a celebratory showcase of support for FSU’s LGBTQ+ community.

Delilah Pierre from TCAC highlighted the impact of this win, “Seeing FSU do this was a huge sign of hope and inspiration, not because I trust FSU’s leadership, but because I trust y’all and your power! The next time that FSU tells you that they ‘can’t do something’ because they’re ‘not allowed,’ let them know that they’re not the ones who get to decide! The people are the ones who get to decide!”

The successful pressure against the FSU administration to back off from its attempts to erase LGBTQ+ housing in the dead of night demonstrates the absolute necessity of organizing on campus. Organizing can successfully ward off right-wing and reactionary attacks on campuses. This message was not lost at the event, which also had the continued organization of students in Tallahassee as a key focus. “When we unite our forces, we're unstoppable,” stated Justin Jordan, member of Tallahassee SDS and student at Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University.

Jordan continued, “This goes beyond FSU. This goes across the tracks at FAMU. At FAMU we don’t have LGBTQ+ housing. We don’t have a Pride Student Union. And the only club we have to support LGBTQ+ people has been delisted. The impacts are very clear, so many students at FAMU feel unsafe where they live.”

In tandem with the joy brought about by this victory, the crowd had an energy of ongoing struggle. On Friday, February 28, FSU will host the far-right racist and transphobic commentator, Charlie Kirk. Tallahassee SDS will be there to show that he's not welcome and demand racists off our campus.

Tallahassee SDS will continue to organize to protect LGBTQ+ students on campuses across the city and fight against other reactionary efforts at stripping the rights of students. This victory proves the validity of the mantra of SDS activists across the country: “Dare to struggle! Dare to win!”

#TallahasseeFL #FL #StudentMovement #LGBTQ #SDS

At the start of the Spring 2025 semester, FSU Admin secretly axed LGBTQ+ Housing – which provides much needed accommodations to transgender and queer students living on campus without communicating their decision to any students, or even the Inter-Residence Hall Council (IHRC). This comes amid escalating attacks on the rights and autonomy of queer and trans people by the reactionary Trump administration and the ruling Florida Republican Party.

As soon as the student body found out, Tallahassee SDS and other student organizations, including the IHRC and Pride Student Union, condemned FSU Admin for putting queer students in danger by removing this program which was meant to protect them from being forced into potentially unsafe gender-segregated living arrangements that don’t align with their gender. Or being assigned bigoted roommates and being forced to live in an unsafe environment.

Queer people at FSU have the right to safe housing in which they can feel comfortable living openly as themselves, expressing their gender identity and sexuality without fear. Admin may have backed down today, but the callous disregard for queer students which led them to try to destroy LGBTQ+ Housing has not gone away.

This whole episode has made it very clear that FSU cares more about placating Ron DeSantis and Donald Trump than they do about their own students. FSU Admin didn’t restore LGBTQ+ Housing out of the goodness of their hearts– they did it because the student body stood up and fought back!

The LGBTQ+ housing program was established only in Fall of 2021 after a lengthy grassroots campaign led by activists from Gender Odyssey, SDS, and the Pride Student Union – which was itself established through militant student activism in the 60s and 70s.

All of our rights have been won through mass struggle, and queer students’ right to safe housing is no different! This historic victory – one of the first in a long time for Tallahassee’s progressive students– was only possible because of the people’s vigilance and determination, and it shows what we can achieve when we unite and fight the power!

Make no mistake: Queer students are still under attack from the rich and powerful, and we have to defend ourselves! No matter the repression from forces that seek to strip away our rights, we must never be afraid to stand on the right side and openly struggle for our liberation! We must not cower in fear thinking of what can be lost, but rather push forward thinking of what can be won!

The fight doesn’t end here! We have to carry forward the fighting spirit that defeated FSU Admin today, so that we can defeat Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis tomorrow! We must continue to be vigilant, organized, and united to fight for queer liberation! Because as this victory shows: When we dare to struggle, we dare to win!

#TallahasseeFL #FL #StudentMovement #LGBTQ #SDS #Statement #Housing

Grand Rapids, MI – At Fountain Street Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan, February 15, around 80 people gathered to hear speakers stressing solidarity with the immigrant and queer communities. The event’s purpose was to spread awareness and further mobilization, while also stressing the connections between the two struggles.

The program began with Shae Smith of the Grand Rapids Pride Center and Protest for Progress, a group known for its Sunday demonstrations in support of trans lives held in downtown Grand Rapids. Smith outlined key actions anyone can take to support the queer community, including pushing back against transphobia and homophobia and vocally supporting any events and organizations supportive of queer rights.

“Gender dysphoria is real,” said Smith. “Taking away puberty blockers and hormone therapy is incredibly stressful for these families and dangerous, to say the least.”

Smith encouraged the audience to get involved and share their own experiences and struggles.

Sheldon Skiver of the Grand Rapids Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, the organizers of the event, spoke next on the collaboration between local law enforcement and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Skiver laid out a long and sordid history of racial profiling and discrimination against the local immigrant community.

Skiver also highlighted programs such as the Criminal Alien Program (CAP), which is the oldest and largest of the “jail status check” programs. Her speech noted that nearly all information on CAP must be accessed via the Freedom of Information Act and little attention, or oversight is given to the program, which extends all over the country.

“A lot of individuals in jails or prisons are identified by CAP before they are even convicted of a crime,” said Skiver. In 2009, an audit from the Department of Homeland Security found that 57 percent of immigrants tracked by CAP carried no prior convictions.

Skiver also talked about the infamous case of Jilmar Ramos-Gomez, a U.S. citizen and Marine wrongfully turned over to ICE while suffering from an episode of PTSD. The Grand Rapids Police Department’s Captain Curt Vanderkooi was found to have a history of racism and reporting innocent persons to ICE. Vanderkooi was temporarily suspended and the city was forced to pay Ramos-Gomez $190,000 for the incident.

The Grand Rapids Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression will be hosting a film screening of Citizen: The Jilmar Ramos-Gomez Story, a new film by Jose Guadalupe Jimenez on March 1 at 7 p.m. at Fountain Street Church.

The third and final speaker was Gema Lowe, the co-founder of the Michigan chapter of Movimiento Cosecha, a group fighting on behalf of undocumented immigrants since 2017. Lowe gave a “know-your-rights” presentation in the event of ICE raids or arrests and used a projector to present important information.

Lowe also gave a brief history of ICE since 2003 and the government transition from more “civil” treatment of undocumented immigrants to the increasing militancy familiar today. She said ICE is only going to expand its capacity for surveillance and arrests.

After the presentations, organizers led the crowd on a march to Monument Park during rush hour and covered all street corners to chant and hold signs. Chants of “No hate, no fear! Immigrants are welcome here!” were met with supportive honking and cheering from drivers.

The event came on the heels of the February 1 rally organized by the Grand Rapids Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, which was attended over 500 people and gathered groups as diverse as Planned Parenthood, GR Rapid Response to ICE and the Grand Rapids Climate Coalition.

Organizers with the Alliance said they will continue to build momentum, welcome newcomers to the movement and resist the attacks unleashed by the Trump administration.

#GrandRapidsMI #MI #ImmigrantRights #LGBTQ #NAARPR #GRRR #GRCC

It seems like Trump signs each bigoted executive order before the ink dries on the last. He hasn’t spared any time or pulled any punches in attacking trans people.

The latest executive orders include holding federal funds hostage to bar trans athletes from sports and trans kids from receiving healthcare. Based on pseudoscience, one executive order declares that “it is the policy of the United States to recognize two sexes.” This erases the thousands of cisgender intersex people living in the United States. The same order mandates that trans women be barred from women’s restrooms in federal buildings, and it calls on coworkers to turn against each other to report them. It also prohibits changing gender markers on passports.

Trump is pushing for legislation allowing parents to sue medical providers for offering gender-affirming care to children while simultaneously punishing parents and healthcare workers for respecting the autonomy of transgender youth. He is stopping trans women from using abuse shelters and being housed with women in prisons, effectively compounding sexual violence against them.

These orders come on the heels of hundreds of anti-LGBTQ bills introduced by reactionary state governments in a four-year-long backlash against Trump’s defeat in 2020. They expose the openly reactionary face of a declining empire lashing out, trying to salvage the oppressive system it depends on.

They are the tip of the spear in an all-out assault against women and LGBTQ people. The “two sexes” order defines gender as beginning “at conception,” opening the door to the dangerous notion of fetal personhood. The gender-affirming care ban states that trans people conduct “a losing war with their own bodies,” calling into question both bodily autonomy and people’s right to define their own identities.

The idea that these orders somehow “protect women” is a lie. Not only will they expose transgender and cisgender women alike to unnecessary and traumatic scrutiny of their bodies, they also do nothing to protect women from actual perpetrators of violence. When the majority of assaults on women happen in their intimate relationships with men or while living their lives in public, regulating trans people’s participation in public life is an absurd distraction from real problems in our society.

These orders will also curtail the rights of oppressed nationality and working-class women. The sports ban prohibits trans women and gender non-conforming people from entering the country, opening the door to racism against any woman deemed too masculine. The sports and gender-affirming care bans both threaten to withhold free lunches from schools, as well as Medicare and Medicaid funds from hospitals that don’t comply with transgender discrimination.

FRSO resolutely opposes these reactionary policies that target our trans community members. These attacks are intended to intimidate, confuse, and overwhelm. We won’t stand for this. We will unite all who can be united against Trump’s agenda and the backward political movement he represents. We look forward to fighting back in the streets.

#LGBTQ #FRSO #Statement #Trump #Trans

New Orleans, LA – On February 9, roughly 200 people took to the streets in downtown New Orleans for a rally and march against President Donald Trump’s visit to the Super Bowl LIX at the Superdome.

The protest was called by New Orleans for Community Oversight of Police, alongside a broad coalition of organizations. After Trump’s recent attacks on the most oppressed, protestors came out to demand Trump end ICE raids and deportations, stop attacks on trans people, and keep out of Gaza.

The rally began at Armstrong Park around 4:30, with speakers. The crowd chanted, “Donald Trump has got to go!” and “Un pueblo unido, hamas sera vencido! The people united, will never be defeated!” Community members brought signs and flags, reading “Nadie es ilegal!”, “Trans liberation now!” “Defend women’s and reproductive rights!” as queer flags, Mexican flags, and Palestinian flags waved above.

“A lot of us are here to resist Donald Trump, but some of us are here for other reasons,” said a member of New Orleans for Community Control of the Police (NOCOP). “I’m here because my friend’s dad got deported a couple of months ago, before Trump was even in office. I’m here because my last interaction with the police ended up with a police officer’s arm around my neck, and me sitting in jail. I’m mad, and I’m not forgetting any of that!”

“More than fear, I’m angry!” declared Molly Dayle, a member of the Queer and Trans Community Action Project (QTCAP). “He’s attacking our immigrant siblings, our Black and Brown siblings, and he’s coming after unions. We are only going to be able to fight this together.”

“Immigrants are the ones who build up this city after every hurricane!” said Martha Alguera from the Southeast Dignity Not Detention Coalition. “Right here in Louisiana, we have the largest amount of for-profit detention centers in the country. Thousands of people who were just taken asylum are sent here, and have to deal with medical neglect and abuse.”

During the rally, it began to rain heavily. As clothes and signs got soaked, the energy of the crowd remained high. After the speakers finished, the people took the streets marching from Armstrong Park down S Rampart Street all the way up to just outside of the Superdome’s security perimeter. Police presence buzzed around the protest, but because of an excellent security plan and experienced police liaisons, the march concluded with no arrests, injuries, or major disruptions. The crowd cheered, “Rain will not take us down! Trump out of NOLA now!”

When the march returned to Armstrong Park, the crowd chanted and cheered “I believe that we will win!” Bright smiles and hugs congratulated the successful protest as the action came to a close.

#NewOrleansLA #LA #PeoplesStruggles #Trump #Sports #SuperBowl #LGBTQ #ImmigrantRights

Tampa, FL – On Wednesday, February 5, over 300 people gathered for a protest against Trump’s agenda at Tampa City Hall to demand an end to mass deportations and to defend women’s and LGBTQ rights.

Attendees held up signs reading, “No one is illegal on stolen land” and “Bans off our bodies!” as cars passed by and honked in support. The rally was organized by Tampa Activists United and went on for a few hours.

Members of organizations like Tampa Bay Students for a Democratic Society, Tampa Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, Occupy Florida, and Voices of Florida attended gave speeches, leading chants such as “No fear, no hate, no deportations in our state!” and “Racist, sexist, anti-gay, Donald Trump, go away!”

“It was incredible to see so many people activated across the nation for the 50501 protests. Tampa’s protest had hundreds in attendance brimming with energy, which clearly shows we will not stand idle while Trump attempts to enact his racist, anti-immigrant agenda,” stated Emma Rice, member of Tampa Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression.

As rallies against Trump’s agenda continue across the nation, Tampa will continue to fight for the rights of immigrants, women, LGBTQ and more!

#TampaFL #ImmigrantRights #WomensMovement #LGBTQ #TAU #SDS #TAARPR #OccupyFlorida #VoicesofFlorida

New Orleans, LA – On Saturday, February 1 New Orleanians from diverse communities took the busy downtown streets at rush-hour to voice their anger. The protest was organized by the Queer and Trans Community Action Project (QTCAP) in response to several executive orders that Donald Trump passed in his first few days as president. Around 100 protesters marched with signs and flags behind a banner reading “Protect LGBTQ+ youth!”

The march featured chants and speakers reflecting the wide range of attacks that Trump has launched against immigrants, trans people and reproductive rights. Some protesters carried the flags of countries like Mexico and Honduras to show their pride and commitment to defending immigrants from Trump’s attacks. Trans speakers repeatedly encouraged solidarity with immigrants facing repression with chants like “We’re here, we’re queer, immigrants are welcome here!”

Protesters first gathered at the Hale-Boggs Federal Building in downtown New Orleans. Streets were crowded with cars and pedestrians as New Orleans prepares to host the Super Bowl and as Mardi Gras season begins. Speakers from QTCAP and Union Migrante, a grassroots immigrant-rights organization, fired up the crowd to take the busy streets. QTCAP organizer Molly Frayle said, “Trump has been clear and open about his repressive agenda, and we have been angry. Now we must channel our anger and build resistance!”

The crowd marched to the downtown tower that houses ICE’s New Orleans office, chanting “El pueblo unido, jamas sera vencido!” Adam Pedescleaux of New Orleans for Community Oversight of Police told the protesters, “Trump and Landry are in a marriage to ruin our lives,” adding, “They want to bring slavery back! That is why it is important that we fight for community control of the police.”

The protest then marched on nearby New Orleans City Hall. The area in front of City Hall, including the sidewalk, was blocked off with caution tape for Super Bowl-related renovations. So, protesters took the whole block in order to stop and give final speeches in front of the building, with protest marshals rushing to redirect traffic for safety.

A Students for a Democratic Society member said “As a foreign student, I almost decided not to come out and speak to you today but now is not the time to hide. It is time to fight!” SDS members from three New Orleans universities endorsed the march and supported it by leading chants and providing security.

Trans Income Project (TIP) is a local grassroots relief organization by and for trans people. A TIP speaker emphasized the resilience of the trans community and reminded protesters that they can give and receive direct support from their communities, despite inhumane treatment and targeted attacks from the government.

Lucas Harell, a trans college student and member of Freedom Road Socialist Organization, delivered a fiery speech. He told the crowd “Right now we stand at a turning point in history; we live in a time where reactionary forces embodied in Donald Trump and his allies seek to drag us backward, to divide us and to erode the very fabric of our collective progress. But we in the Freedom Road Socialist Organization say we will not give up. We will not bow to the forces of greed, hate and oppression.”

Protesters departed from City Hall to march towards Canal Street, the epicenter of downtown New Orleans. As the police realized where the march was heading, they attempted to mislead the protesters and say that Canal Street was “off-limits” for multiple reasons. One officer stood in front of the protest signaling in the direction that the march had come from. The protesters asserted their First Amendment rights and marched directly past the officer to remain on their planned route.

The energy on Canal Street was high as the determined protesters occupied three lanes of traffic. While a few Trump supporting tourists yelled obnoxiously, the march received claps, cheers and raised fists from most of the workers and onlookers they passed. Participants and organizers committed to continue taking the streets in response to Trump’s attacks to show their opposition, their strength and their collective perseverance. Marching under the palm trees and sunset the crowd chanted “Who’s streets? Our streets!”

#NewOrleansLA #LGBTQ #QTCAP #NOCOP #SDS #TIP #FRSO

On Thursday, February 6, at 5 p.m. Pacific time (6 p.m. Mountain, 7 p.m. Central, 8 p.m. Eastern), Freedom Road Socialist Organization will be hosting an online meeting “Building the Movement to Fight Trump’s Agenda.”

Featured speakers include Frank Chapman, executive director of the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (NAARPR), Marisol Márquez of Legalization for All, and Sydney Loving, a member of the Central Committee of FRSO. Fight Back! asked each of these leading organizers why they thought this upcoming meeting was important in building the fight against Trump. Here’s what they had to say.

“In his first days as president, Trump has come out swinging, but so have we! There are so many sectors of society and communities he’s targeting, he makes more enemies every day,” said Sydney Loving of FRSO. “That’s more people who are pushed off the fence, into the struggle to change things and we say, ‘Welcome. Let's fight together.’”

Freedom Road Socialist Organization has indeed been fighting Trump from his first day in office, organizing demonstrations across the country on Inauguration Day, January 20. Loving was a speaker at the national demonstration in Washington DC against Trump’s inauguration.

“We will get absolutely nowhere by staying quiet or going into hiding,” Loving continued, “So we’re not backing down. We’re saying stop the deportations and hell no to the whole backwards ‘profits over people’ agenda. So, this meeting will be important. We’re going to talk about what’s happened so far, the terrain we’re fighting on now, and how we’re going to build the people’s movements, bigger and badder than before!”

Marisol Márquez stated, “Everywhere, around the country undocumented immigrants are finding friends. Trump has created an atmosphere of terror aided by ICE. And yet, the people are ready to meet this threat head on. The Legalization for all Network is ready to help guide anyone who is ready to fight back and fight for the undocumented!”

Frank Chapman of NAARPR says, “We have got to be united. We cannot let them carry out these mass deportations,” adding, “If they are allowed to do that, they will be coming for the rest of the people next. Trump’s not new to us. We’ve been fighting against racists on this continent since 1619. We know who to stand with, and who not to stand with. That’s why the Black liberation movement stands with immigrants, the Palestinians, with all oppressed people throughout the world, against this racist empire. United, we don’t have to worry about being defeated!”

To attend the meeting, register to receive the Zoom link at tinyurl.com/frso225.

#FRSO #Meeting #Trump #ImmigrantRights #WomensMovement #Labor #LGBTQ #L4A #NAARPR #Feature

Allendale, MI – On January 29, Grand Valley State University's Progressive Student Union (PSU) led a speak-out against the new Trump administration. People held signs relating to healthcare, immigration, LGBTQ rights and other causes. The mood was casual, and people joined the students in protest throughout the event.

PSU organizer Owen Frassetto said, “Trump and his administration are now waging attacks against all sorts of people in this country. We need to unite the organizations of these different groups to stand together against attacks on immigrants, on trans people, on public education, and so much more. Our work is cut out for us, but people are ready to stand together and act.”

Another organizer, Elisa Skinner, said, “If you think the direction the country is heading in is the best it can be, I invite you to take a look around and stand in someone else's shoes. We have families being ripped apart, laws and standards violated, and billionaires such as Elon Musk giving Nazi salutes and attending far-right rallies.”

Donald Trump's election has brought with it uncertainty in regard to civil rights and the future of oppressed people. As anew student organization, PSU is trying to unite all forces that can be united against Donald Trump on Grand Valley's campus.

The Progressive Student Union holds weekly meetings which are announced on their Instagram, @psugvsu

#AllendaleMI #GVSU #PSU #PSUGVSU #Trump #LGBTQ #LGBTQrights #Healthcare #Immigration

Santa Ana, CA – Over 100 community members, activists and organizers rallied in Santa Ana to protest the inauguration of Donald Trump on January 20.

Despite cold gusts of wind, the crowd filled the intersection of S Bristol Street and W McFadden Avenue, a location people have rallied at for years, such as on Trump’s first inauguration or during the George Floyd Rebellion.

Erica Gonzalez of Chicanxs Unidxs (CU) said, “I stood on these streets in September 2017 with my four kids, all under the age of 14, to rally against the Trump administration for putting kids in cages and separating families at the border. It was during that rally that I felt the power of community for the first time. Here we are all these years later, except this time we’re much more organized and better prepared.”

Rachael Pozos of TransLatinx spoke on the danger posed to the LGBTQ community by Trump, stating “We are part of this community. They want to segregate and silence us, but we are raising our voices too. We demand that hormone replacement therapy continue to be carried out. We are not going to back down: on the contrary, we are going to fight!”

In his second administration, Trump will likely ramp up police spending and repression of the people’s movements. During his campaign he suggested harsh crackdowns on the Palestine solidarity movement, and in his first administration he responded to the George Floyd Rebellion with heavy repression. Last week Trump’s Department of Justice suggested halting consent decrees requiring reforms of police departments around the country.

Donna Acevedo-Nelson spoke about her son, Joel Acevedo, who was only 21 years old when he was killed by Anaheim Police Department, stating, “My son Joel was dragged, beaten, handcuffed and then shot in the back of the head. The police changed their story a few times. They lie. They go into the media. People believe what they read in the newspaper and there’s always more to the story.”

Protesters visible to passing cars held signs that read, “Indict! Convict! Send these killer cops to jail! The whole damn system is guilty as hell!”

Emma Gottfried from Community Service Organization (CSO) spoke about the killing spree by Anaheim and Santa Ana police over the years. In December, SAPD killed Noe Rodriguez moments after arriving at the scene, giving commands only in English and firing at least 30 bullets even as he collapsed.

Gottfried said, “CSO has launched our ‘24/48’ police accountability campaign. We are fighting for more transparency, demanding the public releasing of officer names when they are involved in misconduct or a shooting within 24 hours, and for releasing unedited footage of the incident within 48 hours. Families deserve to see what happened and know who was involved so we can hold them responsible!” Protesters waved signs saying, “Justice for Noe Martinez Rodriguez.”

Labor activist Manaal Subhani warned of Trump’s legacy of attacking workers, stating, “During his presidency, Donald Trump systematically undermined worker protections and unions. His National Labor Relations Board repeatedly sided with corporations over workers, making it harder to form unions and easier to decertify them.”

Subhani continued, “Workers built this city, workers run this city, and workers will fight back against the Trump administration and the cop administration!”

Abraham Quintana of Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) reinforced the importance of the working class struggle, stating, “The billionaires depend on our labor for their profits. It's not Elon Musk on the assembly line building those ugly, explosive trucks. It's not Gavin Newsom out there fighting wildfires. It’s workers!”

Quintana spoke of FRSO’s task of building a political party of the multinational working class, saying, “Instead of living in a world where we live to make profits for the billionaires, we can build a society that meets everyone’s needs and puts the power in the working class's hands instead of the hands of the 1%.”

Sandra de Anda, coordinator of the Orange County Rapid Response Network (OCRRN), encouraged the crowd to call their hotline if ICE is spotted in Santa Ana (714-881-1558). She cautioned people to correctly verify sightings to avoid panic and shared about their participatory defense work to stop and reduce detentions, deportations and incarcerations.

Sandra de Anda said, “We are here as a reminder that everyday people can organize: mothers, hermanos, everybody can learn how to get their loved ones out of cages. Right now is the time for regular people to do courageous things!”

Protesters waved signs that read “No to deportations,” “Protect Immigrants” and “Don’t bite the hand that feeds you.” The crowd shouted, “Up, up with liberation! Down, down with deportation!”

Vinny Mansoor of the US Palestinian Community Network (USPCN) stressed the importance of solidarity across different movements, telling the crowd, “I find myself for the life of me unable to see the difference between a child in a cage in California and a child in a cage in Gaza! Our children are being taken from us and we have to stand united!”

Erick Landeros of Guerrero, a solidarity organization supporting the National Democratic Revolution in the Philippines, connected the struggle between immigrants in Santa Ana with oppressed peoples around the world: “From here in Santa Ana with migrant, working class families, to Palestine, to Mexico, to the Philippines, we all face a common enemy: U.S. imperialism.”

Jensen Walsh of Orange County Democratic Socialists of America (OCDSA) called the audience to action, stating, “Right now, we are mobilized, but what we must do is organize for greater mobilization in the future.”

The crowd marched around the intersection, hoisting signs in the air and shouting over the gusty wind and traffic. Spirits were high as people raged against the Trump administration. The rally highlighted the importance of solidarity between all of the people’s struggles and the importance of joining an organization for long-term organized struggle against this administration.

The event was organized by CSO OC in coalition with CU, OCEJ, USPCN, FRSO, OCDSA, TransLatinx, Guerrero and OCRRN.

#SantaAnaCA #PeoplesStruggles #Immigrantrights #InJusticeSystem #LGBTQ #Palestine #AntiWarMovement #Environment #CSOOC #CU #OCEJ #USPCN #FRSO #TransLatinx #Guerrero #OCRRN

Madison, WI – On January 18, Reproductive Justice Action Milwaukee (RJAM) stood at the forefront of the fight for reproductive freedom, participating in two powerful marches held simultaneously in Madison and Milwaukee, Wisconsin. These events were part of the People’s March National Day of Action, which drew thousands to the streets, united in their support of women’s and reproductive rights, LGBTQ rights, workers’ rights, global solidarity, and immigrant rights.

In Milwaukee, protesters filled the streets with chants and signs, calling for unrestricted access to abortion and an end to political interference in personal health decisions. Similarly, 75 miles to the west in Madison, marchers braved the cold to make their voices heard at the state capitol. Both events highlighted the growing outrage with the policies of the Trump administration, which many fear will intensify repression and further erode reproductive rights.

RJAM’s speakers at both events underscored the need for grassroots action, emphasizing that politicians regardless of party, cannot be trusted to protect abortion access.

“Both parties have let us down. That’s why our fight isn’t about relying on politicians – it’s about building a movement that puts power back in the hands of the people,” said Carly Klein, a founding member of Reproductive Justice Action- Milwaukee, to a crowd of 300 in Milwaukee.

“We are prepared to fight, not just for the next four years, but for as long as it takes. Because this isn’t just about one administration. It’s about building a society rooted in justice, sustainability and liberation for all of us,” stated Blake Jones, to the crowd of the hundreds of people who flooded the capitol building in Madison.

The marches were a resounding call to action, for attendees to mobilize further than just voting or attending protests. As threats to abortion access grow under the current political climate, RJAM and their allies are doubling down on their commitment to grassroots organizing, ensuring that the movement for reproductive rights remains strong and resilient in the face of mounting challenges.

The events in Milwaukee and Madison were a testament to the power of collective action, with hundreds of voices uniting to demand a future where reproductive freedom is non-negotiable.

#MadisonWI #WI #WomensMovement #ReproductiveRights #RJAM #PeoplesMarch #LGBTQ #Trump

Baton Rouge, LA – On Monday January 20, despite the freezing temperature and extreme wind, Louisiana State University (LSU) students and Baton Rouge community members gathered at the State Capitol to stand in opposition to Trump’s inauguration.

A coalition of organizations representing students, trans rights, Palestinian rights, and political groups all united against Trump’s bigoted agenda and spoke to the next year’s difficulties, highlighting that it would be crucial to keep the struggle in the streets.

Lev Deane of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization said, “It is imperative that we fight against Trump’s backwards and reactionary agenda by building a strong united front. The only way to accomplish this goal is to mobilize.”

Deane underscored Trump’s plans to attack immigrants by eliminating programs that provide protections like Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and his plans to repeal the 14th Amendment, which grants birthright citizenship. These policies will be implemented through ICE sweeps that will be carried out in major cities, leading to mass deportation and increased police brutality against anyone who is suspected of being immigrant.

Trump’s policies will impact immigrants and will also further embolden current right-wing attacks on queer people. Currently there are 219 active anti-trans bills at the state level and seven at the federal level. In Louisiana, several anti-trans bills have already passed under state Governor Jeff Landry. Some of these bills include the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, which bans teachers from disclosing or even mentioning their sexual orientation or gender identity to students; the “Bathroom Ban,” which bars trans people from using the bathroom of their choice; and the “Name Ban,” which prohibits teachers from using their trans students preferred name and pronouns.

Remmy Cavalier of Louisiana Trans Advocates at LSU said, “Landry will use these laws to further alienate and put trans youth in danger. They want to put teachers’ jobs at risk.”

Palestine was another major focus of the march. Monday marked the first day of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and the Palestinian resistance, after 16 months of Israel’s genocide against the Palestinian people that has killed over 46,000. Although a ceasefire has been achieved, billion-dollar aid packages will continue to be sent to Israel under Trump’s presidency. The fight for Palestine is still not over.

Ayah Hamdan of Students for Justice in Palestine said, “Let’s be clear, the ceasefire does not mean the violence has stopped,” and pointed out that the Palestinians are still under occupation. She declared, “Ceasefire does not mean we cease. We still need to fight!”

After listening to the speakers and chanting, 30 people marched to the governor’s mansion. As the crowd approached his mansion, the MAGA flag could be seen waving along with the American and Louisiana flag.

#BatonRougeLA #LA #ImmigrantRights #LGBTQ #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #Trump #Feature

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following speech that was given by Sydney Loving, member of Central Committee, Freedom Road Socialist Organization, at the Washington DC protest coinciding with the inauguration of Trump.

Brothers, sisters, and comrades,

It is so good to stand here with all of you. As an organization last year, we spearheaded the massive marches on the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee and the Democratic National Convention in Chicago that brought 30,000 into the streets – that was the first step, and here is the next. Inauguration day is day one, and we’re mobilizing all over the country. The message is this: we’re not just ready for a fight – we’re looking for one.

The situation in the world today is showing cracks in the U.S. empire. It’s in a period of decline, and the decline is accelerating. We saw the cracks during the George Floyd rebellion – where one man’s murder brought millions into the streets and set cities on fire. It scratched the depth of national oppression and the potential for mass resistance.

After 16 months of atrocities, the Palestinian resistance and its allies have not been defeated. Millions around the world have stood up against the U.S.-backed genocide in Gaza and marched in solidarity with their heroic struggle for freedom. Things are sharpening.

Donald Trump and his gang of billionaires, bigots and corporate puppets are about to take power again. They’ve made their plans crystal clear: mass deportations, police and vigilante violence, attacks on workers, women, LGBTQ people, and immigrants. They’ll try to gut healthcare, roll back our democratic rights, and line the pockets of the rich while stepping on the rest of us.

There’s no one that Trump’s administration won’t try to pick a fight with. But we will bring the fight to him. When his forces come to town, we’re going to smash the event. When they try to provoke us, just like the students refused to leave the encampments for Palestine we’re going to hold our ground. If they’re looking for a fight, we’ll give it to them. Even if we don’t start the fights, we’re going to finish them.

Repression is nothing new to us. We’ve faced raids and FBI scrutiny; we’ve fought back and kept our people out of jail: Every. Single. One. We learned that the only way to win is not to shrink away; to face repression head on. The masses are the makers of history, and only by rallying together can we defend our movements and make real advances.

To those who feel overwhelmed or tempted to stay quiet – silence won’t save us. Solidarity will. We’re not scared of the idea of America coming apart – because this is our moment to fan the flames. We’re here to build movements, defend our communities, and turn up the heat.

Our work is expanding rapidly – we’re building a united front of everybody that has a bone to pick with Wall Street.

To this end, we invite everyone to join us. We’re not keeping our heads down and hoping the next four years blow over. We’re going to rise to every challenge we meet, stand up, fight back, and make the U.S. ungovernable.

#WashingtonDC #PeoplesStruggles #ImmigrantRights #WomensMovement #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #LGBTQ #Labor #FRSO

Olympia, WA – Hundreds gathered at Heritage Park in Olympia, on Saturday, January 18, to protest against the second inauguration of Donald Trump. People of all ages, genders and nationalities from dozens of organizations made up the Peoples’ March on a brisk, sunny afternoon.

Protesters put forward demands around the environment, indigenous sovereignty, economic justice , liberation for Black people, liberation for trans people, immigrant justice, reproductive justice, and freeing Palestine.

“We want everyone to be united in our movement to say ‘no’ to cages,” said Rufina Reyes, director of immigrant rights group La Resistencia, “This is the worst time to bow down our heads. We want people to stand up and say, ‘Here we are, and we have the right to fight for ourselves and fight for our families!’“

Immediately after the march to the Capitol, many of the crowd gathered at a community center a few blocks away for the Festival of Resistance. The Festival of Resistance, according to its program, “is a crucial opportunity to build community and solidarity, engage in outreach and education, and prepare to take collective action ahead of what is sure to be a tumultuous time.”

The first half of the gathering was a social hour where patrons ate free food provided by Food Not Bombs and mingled with other festival-goers. The second half of the programming included discussion groups such as “Organizing for Queer and Trans Liberation” and “Neighborhood Organizing” and workshops including “Prison Letter Writing” and “Anti-Repression Workshop,” just to name a few.

“The Festival of Resistance is important because we need to prepare for what’s coming under the Trump administration,” said Arlo Dalton, member of Palestine Action South Sound. “It’s going to be important to build our network to fight against these attacks. And if we want to be ready, we need to get started now!”

#OlympiaWA #WA #ImmigrantsRights #WomensMovement #LGBTQ #PeoplesAction #Environment #PeoplesMarch #Trump

San Jose, CA – On the evening of Saturday, November 23, around 30 community members gathered at Saint James Park to honor members of the trans community who are no longer with us, as well as the Palestinians who have been martyred over the past year. The action was organized by the San Jose People’s Pride coalition.

The community put together a candlelight vigil with a banner reading “Our existence is resistance” accompanied by photos of those we have lost over the past year.

Silicon Valley Immigration Committee organizer Hazel Tongzhi started off the evening describing the struggle for trans liberation, stating, “We’re banned in many states, our access to healthcare diminishes daily, and we are held hostage for political gain meant to distract people from the horrors that the bourgeoisie commit.”

Sebastian Salinas, organizer with Freedom Road Socialist Organization, highlighted the connection between oppressed communities domestically and abroad. “Ultimately the struggles of the Palestinians and queer folks are linked. What can we do? Together, all oppressed peoples need to build a united front.”

After the speeches, attendees took to the streets and marched down the popular San Pedro Square and Post Street where the gay bar Splash is located. Chants like, “No Trump, no KKK, no transphobic USA!” and “When trans people are under attack, what do we do? Stand up, fight back!” could be heard blocks away.

Students for a Democratic Society organizer Romaine Charite highlighted the struggle of Black trans women and femmes, saying, “Trans femicide is killing us, and I have more in common with a Palestinian than I will ever have with bourgeois liberals in a so-called blue state who voted for the self-preservation of their rights, but voted against the abolition of slavery in the prison system, against minimum wage increases, and against affordable housing,” referencing recent state propositions that were voted down.

Oli Harter of Students for a Democratic Society spoke about how imperative it is to get organized, saying, “I am transmasc. For me and for many, activism wasn’t a choice. Our decision boiled down to fight or suffer. That’s not a choice.”

The vigil ended with an opportunity for members of the community to speak their thoughts before coming together to finish with a chant led by Charite, “Dare to struggle, dare to win!”

#SanJoseCA #CA #LGBTQ #Trans #SDS #FRSO #