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

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

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

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 #

Denver, CO – Students organized by the Denver chapter of Students for a Democratic Society gathered on Auraria campus April 2 to solemnly commemorate Transgender Day Of Visibility. The candlelight event recalled the suffering and lives lost from violence and hatred aimed at the trans community. News publications and watchdog agencies, spurred on by trans activists, have noted a sharp uptick in hate crimes under the Biden administration, with a steady increase each year since the record numbers committed during the 2020 election year.

The Biden administration in non-response has taken a hands-off approach to civil rights enforcement, while touting Biden's generosity for allowing minor paperwork concessions such as an “X” option on U.S. passports and removing segregationist barriers to receipt of a small selection of federal-level benefits, barriers which should have never existed in the first place.

Unfortunately, having an X option on his passport did not save Nex Benedict's life, nor the lives of other murdered trans and nonbinary people, many of whom were African American. Meanwhile Biden sat on his hands while bipartisan, transphobic state officials passed law after law attacking the queer community's right to exist.

Against this backdrop, students and community members gathered to light candles at the Tivoli Commons Stage decorated with trans flags and a large picture of Nex Benedict to express their grief at losses suffered, their pride in the trans community, and their hope for a brighter future.

#DenverCO #CO #LGBTQ #Trans #TransDayOfVisibility #SDS

Tallahassee, FL – On March 31, activists rallied at Cascades Park for Transgender Day of Visibility and demanded justice for Nex Benedict.

“Despite all of the wins we’ve made this legislative session, we cannot stop fighting until trans people are truly free from the systemic hate and violence that killed Nex Benedict,” said Joelle Nunez, president of the Tallahassee Students for a Democratic Society.

On February 7, Nex Benedict, an Oklahoma teen, was assaulted by classmates in their Owasso high school bathroom. Benedict was attacked due to an altercation occurring after they were forced to use the bathroom correlating with their assigned gender at birth. The 16-year-old used he/they pronouns. Benedict would die from their injuries the following day, February 8.

Tavish Bryan, representing Food not Bombs, stated, “Their death is no more tragic than it was avoidable and those responsible deserve the utmost justice in return for their negligence, abuse and cruelty.”

Local Tallahassee activists organized in coordination with the national movement for Transgender Visibility Day. The need for nationwide action in support of transgender youth is ever present. The people need to demand justice for transgender people attacked by their peers and their representatives.

Kingsley Early, speaker for Tallahassee Students for a Democratic Society reminded everyone, “It’s time that as a community we fight for trans rights and liberation not just today but every day.”

The threat of violence is pressing for transgender and nonbinary youth. According to the Trevor Project, 27% reported that they had been physically threatened or harmed due to their gender identity in the last year.

“The fight for trans liberation isn’t just about visibility. Although our progress should be noted, we have to understand that trans people deserve real equity when it comes to housing, employment, healthcare and legal justice,” said Delilah Pierre, president of Tallahassee Community Action Committee.

#TallahasseeFL #FL #LBGTQ #Trans #TransDayOfVisibility #NexBenedict #TCAC #SDS

Baton Rouge, LA – On Monday April 1, Louisiana State University students celebrated Trans Day of Visibility at the campus’s Parade Grounds to resist Louisiana's transphobic legislation, as well as an anti-trans administrative policy.

Several anti-LGBTQ bills in Louisiana are awaiting hearing, such as the Trans Erasure Bathroom Bill (HB608), the Don’t Say Gay Bill (HB122), and the Name and Pronoun Regulation in Schools Bill (HB121). Reactionary legislators pushed similar bills just last year, but the governor ultimately vetoed them after facing pushback from the LGBTQ community. Many are worried these bills will see a different fate with Louisiana’s Republican governor, Jeff Landry, who has been antagonistic to LGBTQ rights in the past.

A little over a week ago, LSU’s student government passed a bill to make on-campus housing more accessible to trans and gender-nonconforming students by helping LGBTQ students connect and room together.

The current process for trans students who are seeking on-campus housing forces them to find a roommate who will agree to live with them on their own, or you are forced to room with the incorrect gender. LSU claims that it acknowledges the correct genders for trans people who have changed their gender identity on official government identification documents. But the university stopped accepting Social Security Cards as proof of identity in the fall of 2022, when the Social Security Administration made it possible to self-select sex.

LSU students rallied against this oppression by chanting “When trans rights are under attack, stand up, fight back!” They played some games to symbolically resist the prejudice against trans people playing sports.

This rally was hosted by Louisiana Trans Advocates at LSU, Students for a Democratic Society at LSU, the Queer Trans Community Action Project (formerly Real Name Campaign), and Trans Queer Youth NOLA. Student organizers at LSU hope this event is just one of many to come.

#BatonRougeLA #LA #LGBTQ #StudentMovement #Trans #DontSayGay #AntiLGBTQBills

Tampa, FL – On March 29, around 20 students gathered in front of the University of South Florida library to participate in a vigil held by Tampa Bay Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) to celebrate the life of, and demand justice for, Nex Benedict.

Nex Benedict was a trans, non-binary, indigenous child who was killed in Oklahoma on February 8 at the age of 16. Although the official cause of death was listed as suicide, it is heavily disputed, as a prior altercation in school had left him with numerous physical injuries.

Students were encouraged to bring items relating to them to place at a temporary altar. Items brought included cat-related items, indigenous items, and letters. The altar would then be moved to a permanent altar set up for Nex.

Tampa Bay SDS member Tyler Ramirez gave a personal statement in which they stated that “even if Nex died by suicide, their ‘suicide’ was still murder. Why? Because every single trans suicide is actually a murder. That trans person died not by suicide, but by the presence of enough hate in their world. That hate and ignorance and bigotry messes with you, sometimes to the point of suicide.” They then went on to explain, “collectively the people can hold the power and create immense pressure and change. We all need to do our part.”

Nex’s tragic death was a result to the rising trend of violence against trans people such as Righteous TK “Chevy” Hill and Alex Franco. SDS continues to stand with queer and trans people against homophobic and transphobic legislation and attacks.

#TampaFL #LGBTQ #StudentMovement #SDS #NexBenedict #Trans

New Orleans, LA – On March 31, over 200 LGBTQ folks and allies gathered in Washington Square Park near the French Quarter. Just an hour before the annual Gay Easter Parade, the crowd came together to hear opening remarks from organizations.

After a brief introduction, Lucas Harrell of the Queer and Trans Community Action Project defined the attacks that the LGBTQ community in Louisiana is facing. “We face oppression, we face violence, and we face censorship. And we cannot be silent about these injustices! It’s up to us to defend ourselves, as Democrats have proven to be spineless, while profiting off of our most vulnerable, just like our Republicans!”

This Trans Day of Visibility rally comes in the context of a flurry of homophobic and transphobic bills that have been filed in the Louisiana state legislature. These include a Don’t Say Gay bill that would ban teachers from discussing sexuality and gender in the classroom, as well as a Deadname bill that would require educators and staff to deadname and misgender students. While the previous Democratic governor sometimes vetoed these kinds of bills, the current far-right Governor Jeff Landry will make the fight tougher for the LGBTQ community.

A memorial was held before the march. Speakers read aloud the names of trans and queer siblings lost over the past year, including Nex Benedict, the transgender student from Oklahoma who was murdered by one of their classmates in February. Afterwards, organizers conducted a ceremony, passing out flowers to and honoring the trans folks in attendance.

Just before the march, Toni Duplechain-Jones of New Orleans Community Oversight of the police addressed the crowd about the importance of resisting the increasing waves of political repression in the state. Duplechain-Jones stated, “69% of trans people with HIV in New Orleans have been incarcerated, and that number is only increasing, and our most vulnerable are only facing more discrimination and more incarceration. That’s exactly why I wanted to be here today with the position of fighting back against police brutality and police discrimination on our trans siblings.”

With banners and signs declaring “Resist Landry!” and “Protect trans youth!” and waving transgender and non-binary flags high, the protesters took to the streets to cut straight into the heart of the French Quarter, surprising the waiting Gay Easter Parade crowd with chants of “Jeff Landry you can’t hide, we charge you with genocide!” and “When trans kids are under attack, what do we do? Stand up, fight back!” The march continued for several blocks with cheers of solidarity from the crowds gathered on the sidewalks and leaking out of bars and restaurants.

Eventually, the march made its way back to the park where speakers from other organizers showed how their struggles were intertwined with the trans struggle.

“On the job, in this state, in our country, it is clear that there is a war on our bodies and our existence. I say bring the war! It’s important to center ourselves on fighting anyways,” said Abbey Lodwig, a trans organizer for Starbucks Workers United.

Lodwig continued, describing the Starbucks campaign, “They took back their promise to take transphobia seriously and made it clear that the boss and customers’ comfort was far more important than our safety. Do you think me and my coworkers backed down?” The crowd responded to their question with a resounding “Hell no!”

The march ended with an open space for everyone gathered to breathe and be present with the community that had gathered there. At the same time, organizers reiterated the urgency of continuing the fight against political repression and violence from Landry’s administration.

The trans and queer community of New Orleans said it loud and clear – they will keep the fight for their rights in the streets!

#NewOrleansLA #LGBTQ #Trans #TransDayOfRemembrance #QTCAP #NOCOP

Tallahassee, FL – On the evening of March 24, 25 community members gathered to honor the life of Nex Benedict, an Oklahoma transgender teenager who was murdered. The vigil was held at Common Ground Books, a local LGBTQ bookstore.

Nex Benedict, who used he/they pronouns, was brutally beaten by classmates in their Owasso high school bathroom on February 7 for being transgender. Due to Oklahoma’s “Don’t Say Gay” laws, similar to those in Florida, transgender youth are restricted to using the bathroom that matches their assigned gender at birth. This led to an altercation between Benedict and his classmates. Benedict was rushed to the hospital for treatment and succumbed to his injuries the next day.

Since last month, the Oklahoma state legislature and Owasso school board have come under fire for systematically repressing and silencing transgender students and refusing to accept accountability for their part in Benedict’s death. Vigils have been held across the country to honor Nex Benedict and demand justice for all trans youth under attack by the right wing.

The case has come under even more scrutiny since medical examiners ruled Benedict’s death a suicide by overdose. LGBTQ activists across the nation have spoken out against the ruling.

“We have to remember that Nex Benedict’s death was a murder, not a suicide. Nex was failed by every institution that should have protected him. We need to fight for a world where we don’t need to hold any more vigils for trans kids who have been failed by the adults around them,” said Delilah Pierre, president of the Tallahassee Community Action Committee.

Sam Beal is an employee at Common Ground Books who helps run the Gender Affirming Closet, a place where trans youth can receive gender affirming clothing and supplies at no cost. Beal said in their speech, “Being able to provide trans kids in Tallahassee with a safe space to be themselves has been the greatest honor. Many times, over the past month I couldn’t help but wonder what Nex would have looked like in our space, surrounded by people who accepted them as they are.”

Kenvonte Ford, representing Equality Florida, inspired hope in the crowd, “22 anti-LGBTQ bills were introduced this past legislative session, but through our organizing we were able to kill and neutralize 21 of those bills. Things like this show us that people have power to create change.”

The vigil closed with attendees lighting candles in Benedict’s honor.

#TallahasseeFL #FL #LGBTQ #Trans #NexBenedict #TCAC #DontSayGay

Salt Lake City, UT – Despite freezing temperatures and attempts at stifling the student movement, dozens of students and supporters gathered outside of the University of Utah’s Language and Communications building on November 30 to take a stand against a presentation by anti-transgender advocate Chloe Cole. 19-year-old Cole claims that she underwent female-to-male gender affirmation surgery at age 15, detransitioned at age 16 and says that this caused her “lifelong, irreversible harm.”

The protest was put on by Students for a Democratic Society in response to the presentation organized by Young Americans for Freedom, a right-wing student organization with ties to Turning Point USA. The entrance was guarded by at least ten police officers, with several more waiting inside the building, and only allowed people in who were registered for the event.

“The current anti-trans movement is not about protecting women or children. The right’s current fixation with attacking and exterminating the LGBTQ community is a scapegoat to distract the public from what's actually going on around us,” said Students for a Democratic Society organizer Adrian Romero.

Ermiya Fanaeian, an organizer with the Armed Queers of Salt Lake, stated, “The struggle for queer and trans liberation is far from over, and it is a struggle that cannot be stopped by the state, it cannot be stopped by the university administration, and it certainly cannot be stopped by right-wing events and organizations. Today, we fight for trans rights, so that tomorrow we stand in our trans power!”

Despite the cold weather and air pollution, students fiercely shouted chants such as, “Trans healthcare is here to stay! Chloe Cole, go away!” and “U of U, let’s be clear! Hate speech is not welcome here!” They also shouted these chants at the events’ attendees as they exited the building.

During the event, a genderqueer student protester was isolated by officers, who demanded to see the person’s ID, and was charged in connection with a counterprotest which had taken place a few weeks before. University of Utah SDS has reached out to the individual to offer support in battling the charges.

#SaltLakeCityUT #LGBTQ #Trans #ArmedQueersSLC

Orlando, FL – Hundreds of people converged on Orlando City Hall on October 7, for the National March to Protect Trans Youth. Organizers from all over the country – including states as far as California, Louisiana, Montana and Connecticut – gathered to oppose Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ attacks on LGBTQ people.

Under DeSantis, Florida’s state legislature has passed waves of laws that restrict transgender access to healthcare and restrooms, as well as queer studies.

Jacob Muldoon, lead organizer with Orlando for Gender Equality, was at the event and spoke about its importance to the local community. “Orlando is one of the largest LGBT cities in the country, but it’s nestled in the heart of reactionary policies. After the Pulse shooting we need events like this to continue to remind our elected officials that we are continuing to fight for equality.”

When the crowd left City Hall and hit the street the number of protesters swelled to more than 350. They chanted, “Racist, sexist, anti-trans – Ron DeSantis go away” and “They say go back, we say fight back!” as they circled around the Seneff Arts Plaza three times before returning to City Hall.

Serena Sojic-Borne, an organizer with the Real Name Campaign, traveled from New Orleans to attend the protest. “In New Orleans, when Trump came to town we organized and shut him down. Today we’re shutting down the DeSantis agenda in Florida and tomorrow we’ll be building to shut down the entire Republican agenda at the RNC.”

The demands of the march were broad and united a variety of groups who have all been targeted by DeSantis’ repressive policies. One key demand was to drop the changes against the Tampa 5 – a group of student organizers who were arrested and brutalized by University of South Florida police while protesting against the reactionary House Bill 999 which restricts diversity programs, multicultural studies, faculty tenure etc. Member of the Tampa 5 Gina Davila explained that the struggle for trans rights and justice for Tampa 5 are linked. “DeSantis is attacking everyone, inside and outside of schools. That’s why we’re here today – it’s one struggle.”

Jamila Nicole, an organizer with Orlando for Gender Equality, spoke when the march returned to City Hall. She reminded the crowd of the seriousness of the threat that DeSantis’ attacks represent. “DeSantis wants to see trans people in one of three places: in the closet, in chains, or in the ground. He wants us to be as dead as his political career is.”

Many of the speakers and activists in attendance made plans to put a final nail in the coffin of the DeSantis agenda by building toward a massive march on the RNC in Milwaukee next year.

#OrlandoFL #LGBTQ #Trans #DeSantis #OGE #RealName

Tallahassee, FL – On Wednesday, October 4, 25 students gathered at the steps of the Florida State University (FSU) Student Union to kick off FSU’s Pride Month and demand FSU defend the rights of transgender students. Students chanted “No hatred! No discrimination! What do we need? Trans liberation!” and “Racist, sexist, anti-gay! Ron DeSantis, go away!”

Between FSU’s cuts to diversity programs and Governor DeSantis’ transphobic rhetoric, students had ample reason to stand up and speak out for the LGBTQ community. FSU, despite claiming to be inclusive and diverse, has been silently compliant with DeSantis’ attacks on higher education. For example, FSU immediately turned over the private medical information of students seeking gender-affirming care to the governor in February and has closed several gender-neutral bathrooms across campus.

Speakers at the event talked about the importance of LGBTQ rights, particularly trans rights, and how they overlap with the struggles of oppressed nationalities and the working class. Jason Charles, vice president of the FSU Student Farmworker Alliance and Outreach Coordinator for the FSU SDS, stated in his speech, “Queer liberation doesn’t happen on its own. Every struggle is interconnected.” After his speech, Carles mentioned how “The coalition of Immokalee workers strives to protect the rights of all farmworkers in the state of Florida in the same way that the SDS fights for the rights of all students in the country.”

Delilah Pierre, president of the Tallahassee Community Action Committee, also gave a speech where she said, “We don’t just want a ‘happy Pride Month’, we want substance!” TCAC has been fighting for Tallahassee to become an LGBTQ+ Sanctuary City, which would mandate local police entities have “LGBTQ+ related crimes” as their lowest priority.

The event was hosted by FSU Students for a Democratic Society (FSUSDS). Members of the FSU Graduate Assistants United, Freedom Road Socialist Organization, and VEG FSU also attended the event in support.

Joelle Nuñez, President of FSUSDS, closed out with a powerful call to action, “FSU President McCullough has the power to make trans students feel safe on our campus; our city commissioners have the power to make trans residents of Tallahassee feel safe. The reason the people in power do nothing to help us is simply because they do not want to. But we’re gonna make them listen!”

Follow FSUSDS on Instagram/Twitter for more information and updates: @FSUSDS

#TallahasseeFL #Trans #LGBTQ #FSUSDS #SDS #TCAC

New Orleans, LA – Trans organizers in New Orleans are getting ready for a rally to defend trans lives, set for June 17 at 4 p.m. in front of the Civil District Court.

In the middle of the Black Lives Matter uprising, violence against Black trans people has escalated. Tallahassee police murdered Tony McDade on May 27. Within 24 hours, on June 8 and 9, Black trans women Dominique Rem’mie Fells and Riah Milton have also been killed. Police reports misgendered both women. Protesters will gather in their memory, and in outrage at their deaths.

Organizers also condemn the federal government for green-lighting this violence with its transphobic policies. The Trump administration is repealing Sec. 1557 of the Affordable Care Act, opening the door to allowing health providers to discriminate against trans people. Not only does this open the door to discrimination, it sponsors the same transphobia that motivates murders.

The Orleans Parish Civil District Court still charges $505.50 for name changes, one of the highest fees in the country. Without accurate identification, trans people risk getting turned away by employers, health providers, and shelters. While Trump sponsors discrimination, city courts leave trans people open to it. Protesters want the elimination of outrageous barriers to correcting IDs.

Meanwhile, as the COVID-19 crisis rages on, transphobic discrimination has to go.

Organizers encourage protesters to wear masks and practice social distancing. Sponsoring organizations include the Real Name Campaign, the Trans March of Resilience, and Freedom Road Socialist Organization.

Set in the middle of Pride month, the rally remembers who founded Pride: militant trans women of color who rioted at Stonewall Inn. Organizers hope to honor their legacy, and continue the fight to protect trans people.

#NewOrleansLA #PeoplesStruggles #Trans