Dallas queer and trans liberation march
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!”