Milwaukee, WI – On Friday, May 29, members of Reproductive Justice Action-Milwaukee and dozens of community members gathered for a press conference and rally demanding that a local pediatric hospital, The Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin (CHW), restore access to gender-affirming care.

Since December 2025, Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin has denied trans youth access to life-saving gender-affirming care. Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin halted services due to the threats that the Trump administration made to retaliate against any health care facilities that provide gender-affirming care to youth.

The crowd chanted, “Kids need care, not legislation! Trans youth liberation!” and marched to the hospital. While gathered at a nearby park, the group heard speeches from community members directly impacted by the attacks on trans youth. 

Kelly Stewart, a mother whose child recently lost access to gender-affirming care services at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, stated, “As a parent, one of the most heartbreaking things I have experienced is the realization that my child's freedom to live, be known, loved, and valued for who they are, can be dictated by others in ignorant and cruel ways.”

Kelly asked the crowd, “When the largest hospital, that we entrust with our children's care, in Milwaukee submits in advance by suspending gender-affirming care, and gender-affirming care for all is under attack, what do families do?” and the crowd cheered, “We fight back!”

Jesse Goyette, a member of RJAM who received gender-affirming care from Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, shared his personal experiences within a flawed medical system.

Goyette stated, “When I was a teenager, I would have never expected that the situation would be worse now than it was when I was young.” Ryan Clancy, Wisconsin state assembly member and father of two trans children, discussed his experiences meeting with the hospital’s administration. He explained it was “one of the most frustrating conversations of my life.” Ryan asserted, “They made a concerted effort to run over trans kids.” He highlighted how hospital systems, like Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, continue to prioritize profits over care.

Eli Carroll, of RJAM, ended the rally by saying, “Just like anti-abortion organizations and lawmakers have politically pressured the current administration to remove or severely restrict access to abortion care, we see anti-trans organizations and lawmakers mimic the same strategy.”

Carroll continued, “RJAM recognizes these patterns for what they are, and will continue to be vigilant in all cases of humans being denied their bodily autonomy. We stand with the community in our collective effort to defend access to care, whether reproductive, gender-affirming, or otherwise- and stand with our partners to defend the right to access critical health care.”

​Reproductive Justice Action-Milwaukee plans to continue to fight alongside the youth and their families who have been impacted by the abrupt interruption in life-saving care. They call on supporters near and far to sign their petition demanding restoration of services at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin.

#MilwaukeeWI #WI #LGBTQ #WomensMovement #ReproductiveRights #RJAM

Minneapolis, MN – On Mother’s Day Sunday, May 10, the Minnesota Abortion Action Committee (MNAAC) organized a pro-choice Mother’s Day protest across from what was an anti-abortion, Pro Life Action Ministry (PLAM) billboard.

A few days leading up to the protest, members of MNAAC learned the billboard was replaced with a local orthopedic billboard. Despite this change, they continued with the protest with about two dozen attendees to fight for comprehensive reproductive healthcare, oppose abortion restrictions and the attempts of “pro-life” organizations to influence legislation and to shame women.

MNAAC is actively fighting against the existence of “crisis pregnancy centers” (CPCs), or anti-abortion centers, in Minneapolis and Saint Paul, with activists demanding restrictions on the ability of CPCs to spread medical misinformation and demanding state and local regulations to require CPCs to disclose that they do not provide a full spectrum of reproductive healthcare.

CPCs convince unknowingly pregnant people in crisis to not have abortions by using scare tactics and promoting myths about abortion causing depression, cancer and infertility. In Minnesota CPCs outnumber abortion care clinics eleven to one, since there are 90 CPCs and nine abortion care clinics. Anti-abortion attacks continue at the federal level with the recent 5th Circuit ruling that seeks to block remote prescription and delivery of mifepristone by mail.

Activists shared their stories about what it means to have the ability to choose to become a parent and how American imperialism continues to harm mothers.

Jordann Hoff, a member of MNAAC, shared that blocking access to mifepristone via telehealth and delivery by mail will harm nearly two-thirds of people needing to have an abortion, since approximately 63% of all abortions are via medication.

Emily Newberg, a member of Women's Against Military Madness (WAMM) shared how Palestinian women are using tent scraps for pads and, without aid mothers, are continuing to take care of their children alone as the men have migrated away throughout the war.

River Road Townsend, a member of Twin Cities Coalition For Justice (TCC4J), told their story about receiving a lifesaving abortion during their first trimester because they still had children to take care of, and how they later were able to choose to adopt a child into their family. Townsend calls their family a family of choice; and that reproductive healthcare should not have to come through the intersection of luck and circumstance.

MNAAC is a grassroots, volunteer-based organization fighting for reproductive justice. The pillars of reproductive justice are the right to have a child, the right to not have a child, and the right to parent a child in safe and sustainable communities while maintaining personal bodily autonomy as a human right.

#MinneapolisMN #MN #MNAAC #AbortionRights #WomensMovement #LGBTQ

Milwaukee, WI – Reproductive Justice Action Milwaukee (RJAM) organized an emergency rally to demand access to mifepristone, the abortion pill medication, on Monday, May 4.

After a recent appeals court ruling that would’ve banned the prescription of the pill through telehealth or mail order, Louisiana sued the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), attempting to reinstate mandatory in-person consultations to have the medication prescribed. The state claimed that mifepristone access undermines their abortion ban The Supreme Court blocked the suit temporarily, and the official decision will be made in the next week. The fight for bodily autonomy and reproductive health continues.

There is a slew of anti-abortion legal cases being pushed through courts nationwide.

Milwaukeeans still came together at a rally for abortion rights, with dozens of people gathering in downtown Milwaukee to call for access to mifepristone and chanting, “Not the courts, not the state, the people must decide their fate.”

RJAM hosted three speakers, then led some loud chanting on the corner of Red Arrow Park, their voices echoing through the city to nearby traffic, pedestrians and City Hall.

Abortion remains legal in Wisconsin, but there are only five abortion clinics, in the southeast region of the state and Madison, leaving the majority of the state and rural areas without services. Wisconsin also does not allow telehealth consultations for abortion, so their access is still very restricted. Meanwhile, the “pro-life” religious groups in Wisconsin operate 50-plus crisis pregnancy centers (CPCs) around the state, working to deceive and deny women their rights.

The protest drew an energetic, multi-generational crowd.

RJAM kicked off the speeches with their founding member, Carly Klein, demanding, “Bodily autonomy for all. Unrestricted access to abortion care. Immediate mifepristone access. The right to telehealth abortion services. An end to politically motivated attacks on healthcare.” She added, “Reproductive Justice Action Milwaukee will continue to organize, mobilize, and fight because our lives depend on it.”

Klein continued, “This has never been about safety. Mifepristone is one of the most studied medications in the United States and has been used safely by millions. Anti-abortion politicians continue to spread misinformation to justify control over our bodies and our healthcare decisions.”

Jo Fox from Planned Parenthood-Generation Action at UWM stated, “Attacks on mifepristone are a steppingstone to the end-goal: a no-exception ban on abortion access nationwide.” The crowd chanted back “That ain’t right!” Fox also spoke on the unnecessary barriers Wisconsinites face when trying to access care, including a two-visit minimum requirement, and a prohibition on advanced care practitioners (RNs, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants) to provide abortion medications to patients.

Andrea Waters from Freedom Road Socialist Organization told the crowd, “Wealthy people in the ruling class will still find a way. They can travel, they can pay, and get private care.” While the working class cannot do so easily. She added, “Capitalism wants our labor, it wants our children’s future labor. It wants us to carry the burden of care while the state cuts services, bosses keep wages low, landlords raise the rent, and healthcare becomes more expensive. The super-exploitation of women has never been more clear.”

RJAM reminded us that abortion care is still available for now. Whether or not mifepristone stays legal, there is still another medication, misoprostol, that can induce abortion.

Abortion is healthcare and women, and the people, need unrestricted access to it, lest they return to the dark ages of back-alley abortions, or the situation in states where it is banned, leading to criminalization and death for the lack of abortion care. Reproductive justice for all, now.

#MilwaukeeWI #WI #WomensMovement #RJAM #Abortion #ReproductiveRights

Milwaukee, WI – Community members gathered for a screening of Preconceived on April 12 to learn about the dangers of crisis pregnancy centers.

Reproductive Justice Action Milwaukee (RJAM) hosted a screening of the documentary followed by a discussion as a part of their Crisis Pregnancy Centers Out of MKE campaign.

Crisis pregnancy centers are also known as unregulated pregnancy centers or fake abortion clinics. Crisis pregnancy centers are clinics in buildings or mobile vans which claim to be reproductive health clinics but are actually run by anti-abortion activists who trick pregnant people seeking abortions into keeping their pregnancy, using deceitful means. Currently there are 50-plus crisis pregnancy centers in Wisconsin and only five legitimate clinics offering abortion care.

With promises of financial and community support for keeping the baby, the CPCs are able to draw in pregnant women before promptly abandoning the new parent and baby once the child is born.

These “clinics” are strategically placed next to Planned Parenthood locations, in predominantly Black, Chicano and low-income communities. One of the anti-abortion activists interviewed in the documentary brags about specifically targeting Vietnamese and indigenous communities.

In addition to strategic placement, CPCs use religious imagery, language, and shame to convince people to either avoid or “reverse” an abortion. CPCs will give progesterone to “reverse” an abortion pill regime. When this procedure was being researched the entire program was halted due to the danger to participants. Real doctors and medical professionals would not recommend this course of action to a patient.

The showing of Preconceived is just one part of RJAM’s CPCs Out of MKE campaign. Using direct action, RJAM works to bring attention to and educate community members on crisis pregnancy centers and the harm they cause to reproductive health.

RJAM shut down Alliance Family Services early on their opening day in 2025. RJAM is currently supporting the Stopping Abuse, Fraud, and Exploitation by Governing Unauthorized Access to Reproductive Data (SAFEGUARD) Act in the Wisconsin state legislature. This act will give patients power to take back control of their private health information from these deceitful CPCs.

Additionally, it will force CPCs to disclose that they are not HIPAA-compliant, to obtain written permission to share data, and to disclose instances of data breach. Visit cpcsoutofmke.com to learn more about how to support reproductive justice work in Wisconsin.

#MilwaukeeWI #WI #WomensMovement #ReproductiveRights #Abortion #RJAM

Milwaukee, WI – On Tuesday, March 31, Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) at the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee held a rally for Trans Day of Visibility. The event took place at the UWM library and was co-sponsored by Reproductive Justice Action Milwaukee and the Milwaukee Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression.

This rally started on a somber note, with local trans musicians playing songs of solidarity and hope.

Sasha Gurin from SDS spoke to his experience as a trans youth and the importance of the student movement’s fight for equality of gender in schools. He too spoke of the need for the queer and trans community to fight back against Trump’s agenda, telling attendees that the struggle for trans liberation is principally one against the Trump agenda, and it is on us to unite with the struggles for Palestinian liberation, immigrant rights, and countless others.

A member of Reproductive Justice Action Milwaukee stated, “Our work for reproductive justice does not exist without the fight for trans rights.” They then spoke to today’s present fight, and the work to be done. “While trans folks are visible, they're not all protected, and visibility without protection just leaves people vulnerable. It leaves people vulnerable to attacks, and harm, to hate and violence, vulnerable to supreme court rulings like the one that just came in this morning.”

This event came the same day as a dangerous Supreme Court ruling which overturned Colorado’s law banning conversion therapy for minors. This dangerous ruling sets precedent for similar rulings in 26 other states with similar laws. While the attacks from the Trump administration continue, so do the defenses of the people.

#MilwaukeeWI #WI #TransDayofVisibility #LGBTQ #Trans #SDS #StudentMovement #WomensMovement

Tacoma, WA – On March 31, over 30 people took to the streets to rally for transgender rights. Community members spoke on the importance of Transgender Day of Visibility, and how it intersects with the working class, climate justice, and indigenous sovereignty. After speeches, a short march, and an indigenous cultural offering from a two-spirit person, people filled the municipal building to speak during the city council meeting.

On the city’s agenda was a Transgender day of Visibility proclamation fought for by community organizers and signed by the mayor and city council.

This rally and march were called by the Freedom Road Socialist Organization and also came in response to a Supreme Court decision to re-legalize conversion therapy. Many community members feared how this could impact them at home and at work.

Haze Bender, a union warehouse worker with Teamsters Local 174, said, “Everything we do is informed and impacted by our relationship to production. As workers under capitalism, we have a lot more commonality than differences with the people we work alongside. Remember, most of our oppression is coming from the people above, rather than the people alongside us.” Bender stressed the importance of trans and working class solidarity.

“The United States government sent us [to boarding schools], along with all Indians, where they criminalized our languages, changed our names, and attempted to erase our way of being,” said River Bandi, a two-spirit speaker from the Ojibwa and Odawa First Nations. “They did not succeed. My existence is a testament to the resilience of my ancestors.”

“My mom told me growing up, if you marry another woman, or if you marry somebody that is not Latin, I will disown you,” said Amelia Isabel Escobedo, a two-spirit person with the Brown Berets. She rejected that narrow view, saying instead “You are a part of me and I am a part of you. And we are family.”

Tacomans made it clear that they would not sit down while the Trump administration continued to attack trans rights. After chants of “Trans rights now,” over ten people took the energy of the rally into city council chambers to demand material protections for trans people in Tacoma.

“So on this Transgender Day of Visibility, I ask you to do more than see us,” Dez Chalfant said to the city council in chambers. “Stand with us. Fight with us. Protect us. Because we are not going anywhere.” Chalfant is a rank-and-file member of UFCW 367 and a representative on the Pierce County Central Labor Council.

During the council meeting chants of “When trans rights are under attack, what do we do? Stand up fight back!” echoed through the building, reminding the council that the residents of Tacoma is ready and willing to fight for trans people. The city of Tacoma passed the proclamation for Trans Day of Visibility.

#TacomaWA #WA #TransDayOfVisibility #LGBTQ #Trans #WomensMovement

Los Ángeles, CA – El 8 de marzo, más de 150 personas se reunieron en el Ayuntamiento de Boyle Heights para asistir a la novena celebración anual del Día Internacional de la Mujer organizada por Centro CSO. El evento de este año contó con puestos de comida y un panel de conversación con oradoras de las diferentes áreas de trabajo de Centro CSO, como inmigración, educación y brutalidad policial. La Dra. Rocío Rivas, miembro de la junta directiva del Distrito Escolar Unificado de Los Ángeles (LAUSD) que defiende a la segunda jurisdicción escolar más grande del país contra la privatización, fue la oradora principal del evento.

Jenny Bekenstein, miembro de la Organización Socialista Camino de la Libertad, explicó cómo el Día Internacional de la Mujer se desarrolló en paralelo a la lucha contra el capitalismo y la explotación de los trabajadores. Bekenstein, quien también es miembro del sindicato Teamsters en UPS, dijo, “¡El Día Internacional de la Mujer tiene una historia de mujeres que se enfrentaron a sus jefes, organizaron huelgas, salieron a las calles y lucharon contra la opresión!”

Centro CSO también destacó las demandas de derechos reproductivos para todas, el fin de la violencia de género, la liberación LGBTQ, igual salario por igual trabajo, la legalización para todos y el fin de los crímenes policiales.

Luego, el público escuchó a un panel de activistas que incluyó a Isabella Rivera, madre de Jeremy Flores, quien fue asesinado por la policía de LAPD en la división Hollenbeck en 2025; Antonieta García, copresidenta del comité de educación de CSO, quien organiza la lucha contra la expansión de las escuelas charter en el Este de Los Ángeles; Destiny Martínez, activista del sindicato Teamsters en UPS; y Verita Topete, activista por los derechos de los inmigrantes y copresidenta del Comité de Inmigración de CSO.

Las panelistas compartieron cómo comenzaron en el activismo y cómo es ser mujeres que luchan por causas como la educación pública, la justicia contra los crímenes policiales, los derechos de los inmigrantes y el trabajo dentro del movimiento laboral.

Verita Topete, cuyo padre estuvo detenido durante muchos años en el Centro de Detención de Adelanto, dijo, “Centro CSO organizó un hermoso evento por el Día Internacional de la Mujer que creó un espacio para pequeños negocios locales de mujeres chicanas y reunió a un poderoso panel de chicanas que realizan un trabajo importante en sus comunidades. Escuchamos a mujeres que se organizan por la rendición de cuentas policial, la educación, los derechos laborales y de los inmigrantes. Fue un honor compartir espacio con mujeres que están en la primera línea de estas luchas. El salón estaba lleno de mujeres que se fueron sintiéndose vistas, apoyadas y empoderadas”.

Cuando se le preguntó sobre el evento, Kate Regan, moderadora del panel, maestra de escuela pública y activista, dijo, “El Día Internacional de la Mujer no solo es motivo de celebración, sino también un importante llamado a la acción. Nuestro evento fue una hermosa muestra de agradecimiento por el trabajo que ya se ha realizado, y también una fuente de inspiración alegre para las mujeres y niñas que aún no han encontrado su voz única en la lucha. Nos empoderamos mutuamente al compartir nuestras historias de fuerza y resiliencia”.

La Dra. Rocío Rivas, miembro de la junta directiva del LAUSD y una fuerte aliada de Centro CSO cerró el evento reconociendo las contribuciones de las mujeres a la protección de la educación pública contra la privatización. Rivas se postula para la reelección este año y ha recibido el respaldo de Centro CSO debido a sus esfuerzos para detener el crecimiento de las escuelas charter.

Centro CSO invita a todas las personas que quieran luchar contra la agenda racista y reaccionaria de Trump a su reunión general mensual a las 6 p.m. en el Ayuntamiento de Boyle Heights.

#LosAngelesCA #CA #CentroCSO #WomensMovement #InternationalWomensDay

Declaración del Día de la Visibilidad Trans por el Equipo de Trabajo del Movimiento LGBTQ y de las Mujeres de la Organización Socialista Camino de la Libertad

En el Día de la Visibilidad Transgénero, la Organización Socialista Camino de la Libertad se une a las masas de personas transgénero que se niegan a ser borradas de la vida pública. Este último año hubo una escalada de órdenes ejecutivas anti-trans del gobierno de Trump y legislación reaccionaria en estados de todo el país. La lucha por la visibilidad ha sido ardua y debe ser defendida. Ahora es el momento de salir a las calles para exigir la liberación trans.

Los ataques contra la atención médica para personas trans han tomado un lugar central en la agenda anti-LGBTQ de Trump. Mientras 27 estados ya han aprobado leyes para limitar la atención de afirmación de género para jóvenes trans, Trump busca prohibir esta atención médica en todo el país bloqueando los fondos de Medicaid y Medicare para todos los servicios en hospitales que también brinden atención pediátrica de afirmación de género. Trump ha dado a los hospitales un ultimátum: terminen sus programas de atención de afirmación de género para jóvenes o enfrenten la bancarrota. Esto ya ha resultado en una pausa de la atención en muchos centros, incluso en aquellos estados donde la atención de afirmación de género para jóvenes aún está protegida por la ley local.

El Tribunal del Cuarto Circuito, cuyos jueces fueron designados por Trump, lleva estos ataques un paso más allá al dictaminar que el programa de Medicaid de Virginia Occidental puede excluir la cobertura de todos los procedimientos de atención de afirmación de género, incluso para adultos que dan su consentimiento. La decisión abre la puerta a prohibiciones similares en otros estados. Esto nunca se trató de proteger a los niños. Los ataques contra los jóvenes trans erosionan la autonomía corporal de todas las personas trans, y estamos viendo cómo los verdaderos planes de las fuerzas reaccionarias toman forma en tiempo real. Nuestros enemigos buscan eliminar por completo la atención de afirmación de género y borrar a las personas trans de la existencia, y debemos luchar contra ellos en todos los frentes.

Los derechos civiles de las personas trans en Estados Unidos son extremadamente desiguales y precarios. Las leyes varían de un estado a otro. En Kansas, las licencias de conducir de las personas trans están siendo revocadas de manera masiva. Por el contrario, en Minnesota, se aprobó una ley de refugio trans para proteger a pacientes y proveedores de atención de afirmación de género. Dependiendo de dónde vivan, las personas trans enfrentan leyes sobre baños y prohibiciones en deportes, son desgenerizadas a la fuerza en las escuelas, quedan desprotegidas contra la discriminación laboral, y más. Pero esta polarización también ofrece un terreno fértil para las semillas de la lucha. La resistencia organizada es la única manera de derrotar estos ataques, defender nuestros logros y mejorar verdaderamente las condiciones de vida de las personas trans.

En todo el país, miembros de la Organización Socialista Camino de la Libertad han liderado la lucha por la liberación trans mediante protestas contra los recortes a la atención de afirmación de género, oponiéndose a leyes anti-LGBTQ, movilizando a sus comunidades contra los crímenes de odio y exigiendo justicia por las vidas trans arrebatadas. OSCL participa en eventos anuales por el Día de la Visibilidad Trans, el Día de la Memoria Trans, así como en protestas durante el Mes del Orgullo que reviven el espíritu revolucionario de Stonewall. Las campañas para reducir el costo de los cambios de nombre y fortalecer los recursos de santuario para refugiados trans mantienen viva la lucha por la liberación trans durante todo el año. Donde la gente se organiza y lucha, hay victorias por ganar.

En su acelerado declive, el imperio estadounidense seguirá lanzando ataques represivos contra los pueblos trabajadores y oprimidos como un medio para evitar el cambio revolucionario. Debemos ayudar a quienes luchan por cualquier tipo de liberación a ver la liberación trans como entrelazada con la suya propia. La visibilidad es solo el comienzo. Un día, las personas trans serán más que visibles—tendrán el poder político para tomar sus destinos en sus propias manos.

#TransDayofVisibility #LGBTQ #WomensMovement

Trans Day of Visibility Statement by the Women’s & LBGTQ Work Team of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization

On Transgender Day of Visibility, Freedom Road Socialist Organization unites with the masses of transgender people who refuse to be erased from public life. This past year saw an escalation in anti-trans Executive Orders from the Trump administration and reactionary legislation in states across the country. The struggle for visibility has been hard-fought and must be defended. Now is the time to hit the streets to demand trans liberation.

Attacks on trans healthcare have taken center stage in Trump’s anti-LGBTQ agenda. While 27 states have already enacted laws to limit gender affirming care for trans youth, Trump intends to ban this healthcare nationwide by blocking Medicaid and Medicare funding for all services at hospitals that also provide pediatric gender-affirming care. Trump has given hospitals an ultimatum: end their youth gender-affirming care programs or face bankruptcy. Already, this has resulted in a pause in care at many facilities, including those in states where gender-affirming care for youth is still protected under local law.

The Trump-appointed 4th Circuit Court takes these attacks a step further, ruling that West Virginia’s Medicaid program can exclude coverage of all gender-affirming care procedures, even for consenting adults. The decision opens the door for similar bans in other states. This was never about protecting children. Attacks on trans youth chip away at the bodily autonomy of all trans people, and we are seeing the true plans of reactionary forces take shape in real time. Our enemies seek to eliminate gender-affirming care in its entirety and to stamp trans people out of existence, and we must fight them on every front.

The civil rights of trans people in the United States are extremely uneven and precarious. Laws vary from state to state. In Kansas, the drivers licenses of trans people are being revoked en masse. Conversely, in Minnesota, a trans refuge bill was passed to protect patients and providers of gender-affirming care. Depending on where they live, trans people face bathroom bills and sports bans, are forcibly misgendered in schools, left unprotected from workplace discrimination, and more. But this polarization also offers fertile soil for the seeds of struggle. Organized resistance is the only way to beat back these attacks, defend our gains, and truly improve the conditions in the lives of transgender people.

Across the country, members of Freedom Road Socialist Organization have led the fight for trans liberation by protesting cuts to gender-affirming care, opposing anti-LGBTQ bills, rallying their communities against hate crimes, and demanding justice for stolen trans lives. FRSO is involved in yearly events for Trans Day of Visibility, Trans Day of Remembrance, as well as protests during Pride Month that revive the revolutionary spirit of Stonewall. Campaigns to lower the cost of name changes and bolster sanctuary resources for trans refugees ignite the struggle for trans liberation year-round. Where people stand and fight, there are victories to be won.

In its accelerating decline, the U.S. Empire will continue to launch repressive attacks against working and oppressed people as a means to prevent revolutionary change. We must help those fighting for liberation of any kind to see trans liberation as intertwined with their own. Visibility is only the beginning. One day, trans people will be more than visible—they will have the political power to take their destinies into their own hands.

#TransDayOfVisibility #Trans #LGBTQ #WomensMovement #PeoplesStruggles #Statement #FRSO

Chicago, IL – On Monday, March 16, UIC students gathered in the Women’s Leadership and Resource Center to learn about and discuss women’s and LGBTQ liberation and socialism.

Freedom Road Socialist Organization held the presentation and discussions to commemorate Women’s History Month by showing how both women and the LGBTQ community are oppressed by capitalism, and that both have an interest in fighting for socialism.

Speakers engaged the audience in discussion about how the rich benefit from gender-based exploitation in and out of the workplace. Audience members shared personal experiences of seeing how women in their life face gendered oppression in both their jobs and in their homes.

“LGBTQ equality presents a direct challenge to this oppressive system, and so LGBTQ people are also subject to severe repression, including discrimination in employment, housing, education, and healthcare, and denial of the right to marriage equality,” explained River Argyilan from FRSO.

Students also shared the stories of women fighters for liberation including Claudia Jones, a Black Trinidadian communist woman who was a dedicated leader within the Communist Party USA in the 1940s and 50s, as well as Marisol Marquez, an active Chicana revolutionary in California who is a member of FRSO.

Presenters recommended that students read Marisol Marquez’s pamphlet “My Journey to Aztlán,” which discusses her path to becoming a revolutionary Chicana activist, and to honor Women’s History Month by continuing to study and fight for women’s and LGBTQ liberation as an integral part of the struggle for socialism.

#ChicagoIL #IL #WomensMovement #LGBTQ #InternationalWomensDay #FRSO

Chicago, IL – On Sunday, March 8, hundreds of Chicagoans marched downtown from Daley Plaza to the Trump tower in support of International Women’s Day. Chicagoans gathered to protest against Trump’s attacks on women’s rights, reproductive rights, LGBTQ rights, the racist attacks by ICE, and the attacks on working-class and oppressed people.

Channyn Lynne Parker from Equality Illinois said, “Black women, I want to say I see you. Trans women, I see you. Every woman who has ever been told that you are too much and not enough at the same time, I see you.” Lynne Parker emphasized the importance of continuing to organize, lead, and fight for women's rights.

“If we stop fighting, we will see our rights taken from us,” said Lynne Parker.

“We are seeing families separated, neighbors kidnapped off the streets, mothers, sisters, daughters, pregnant women, friends who don't come home one day because they have been violently brutalized and abducted by the racist fucking gestapo, where they are further terrorized in ICE's detention facilities— or, let's call them what they are, veritable concentration camps!” said Kayla Nguyen, member of the Immigrant Rights Working Committee of the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (IRWC of CAARPR).

“We will not stay silent. Women have been at the forefront of every struggle, in every fight for liberation and freedom for all and we will continue to fight united, across all fronts until we win,” rallied Nguyen.

Cristina Villarreal from Planned Parenthood highlighted the recent ICE attacks on immigrant communities and access to healthcare. “Today, our government is cutting access to evidence-based healthcare. Today, people who look just like me— entire communities— are afraid to leave their homes let alone go to the health centers to get the care they need. But we are not gonna stand idly by and let our rights be taken away. We are not powerless to fight back. We're motivated. We're here today because we care, and that energy can carry us far,” said Villarreal.

Lara Haddadin from the U.S Palestinian Community Action Network (USPCN) garnered praise and applause from the crowd, stating, “Today is International Day of Solidarity with Palestinian women, which is fitting. One of the things I'm here to talk about is how the Palestinian struggle for liberation has always and will always be a feminist and reproductive justice issue. Feminism, without an anti-imperialist lens, serves no one but the wealthy and the white. We cannot call ourselves feminists if we are voting for and supporting the same politicians bombing women in Palestine, Lebanon, Yemen, and Iran. You cannot claim to be progressive if you do not support Palestinian liberation, which women have historically been at the forefront of fighting for generation after generation,” said Haddadin. She further detailed the skyrocketing rates of miscarriages, unsafe births, and lack of medical care in Gaza due to the Israeli genocide.

Haddadin then connected the deportations on immigrant communities across the U.S. and the genocide in Palestine to the local Illinois State Board of Investments (ISBI), which invests a 100 million of Illinoisans’ tax dollars in Israeli bonds and companies that support both ICE and the Israeli occupation of Palestine.

Haddadin ended with a call for unity, stating, “Our struggles are interconnected as these various systems surveil, kidnap, and murder our loved ones with impunity. People are finally waking up to who is actually wearing the boot on their neck and I urge them all to get involved beyond large protests, because this system has always been rotten to its core, even before Trump. And it's going to take all of us united in order to defeat it.”

Louise Carhart from the Freedom Road Socialist organization (FRSO) echoed the calls to unity, saying “The only way forward is through a united front of oppressed and working-class peoples. We will not win by bending feminism to fit the parameters of capitalism or compromising on solidarity. I march with all of you because this fight will not be won in the courtroom, it will be won in the streets.”

The crowd then took to the streets and marched to Trump Tower as they chanted, “One, two, three, four! Gender violence, no more! Five, six, seven, eight! Empower people, not the state!”

The protest was endorsed by the U.S. Palestinian Community Action Network, Freedom Road Socialist Organization, Planned Parenthood, Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, Chicago Abortion Fund, Arab American Action Network, Brave Space Alliance, Trans Up Front, and the Illinois Coalition for Human Rights.

#ChicagoIL #IL #WomensMovement #InternationalWomensDay

New Orleans, LA – On Sunday March 8 around 1 p.m., a crowd of around 40 community members rallied outside the Hale Boggs Federal Building and marched to City Hall for International Women’s Day. The action was called by the Queer and Trans Community Action Project (QTCAP).

“Donald Trump and Jeff Landry are openly organizing and openly having legislative aggression towards women. They are coming after reproductive rights. They are also coming after birth control pills,” Contessa Chenevert of QTCAP exclaimed. “They are also coming after queer people, trans people under the guise of family values. It is important to stand up for one another and to stand up for our communities internationally as our government continues to bomb women and children with our tax dollars.”

Sanaa Monterosso, a member of New Orleans Stop Helping Israel's Ports (NOSHIP) stated, “When we see women having their rights and voices reduced, we also see a girl’s school in Iran being bombed and martyred mothers of Palestine having their voices reduced and silenced. All women are under attack under capitalism.”

The crowd chanted, “How do you spell misogyny?! T-H-E G-O-P,” “International Women’s Day, immigrants built the USA!” as they marched to City Hall.

Juleea Berthelot, a member of Freedom Road Socialist Organization, said, “The inequality that women and gender oppressed people face is systemic. It violates every inch of our lives. In the workplace, we face unequal gender division of labor which means super-exploitation that enriches the capitalists that run this country. The same capitalists that create or support laws that strip us of our rights and autonomy of our bodies. We need real change; we need a revolution because they are trying to strip us of our basic democratic rights!”

“The Trump administration has been using the rhetoric of ‘defending women’ to justify many of its repressive policies,” said Molly Frayle, a member of QTCAP. She promoted QTCAP’s campaign to make New Orleans a sanctuary city for women and LGBTQ people.

Frayle stated, “We know that the city council likes to make promises and do nothing. I don’t care if they feel bad enforcing Trump’s policies. Because at the end of the day, if they choose to be the hammers that Trump uses to smash our communities, they have picked a side and it’s the wrong side. QTCAP demands that our city council make New Orleans a safe haven for all LGBTQ people, women and families.”

#NewOrleansLA #LA #InternationalWomensDay #LGBTQ #WomensMovement

Minneapolis, MN – On Saturday, March 8, the Minnesota Abortion Action Committee (MNAAC), Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee and other partners hosted a protest and march on International Women’s Day at Powderhorn Park in Minneapolis. The protest drew over 500 people across generations and movements.

International Women's Day was born as a result of mass action by immigrant working women. These women walked out and began marching to demand better lives. The rights we have today came from people who refused to stay silent, refused to stay home, and refused to accept the conditions imposed on them. This International Women's Day, organizers in the Twin Cities demanded protection for our immigrant neighbors, opposition to U.S. militarism, community control of the police, freedom for the wrongfully incarcerated, resistance to U.S. imperialism across the globe, and trans liberation now.

An immigrant woman representing MIRAC stated, “All we want is peace – stop treating us like criminals and delinquents and start treating us like the workers that we are.” Other speakers detailed the horrors immigrant women face in detention centers, including, sexual assault, forced sterilization, and forced birth.

Nekima Levy Armstrong is a pastor, lawyer, and leader who was arrested earlier this year, celebrated the people’s unified response to Operation Metro Surge.

Isavela Lopez is an organizer in the Twin Cities who was abused by ICE in June. That abuse resulted in four federal charges which she is still fighting. During her speech, she linked immigration to U.S. imperialism. She spoke about how when the federal government destabilizes other countries, the families in those countries are forced to migrate.

An organizer with Women Against Military Madness stated, “War and regime change has never liberated women of other countries. Any attempt by the U.S. government to tell you that their bombing and killing campaigns abroad are for the safety of women is an outright lie.”

A representative of 50501 told the crowd, “Many people are just beginning to realize how discriminatory and racist these so-called public safety agencies are. But immigrant communities and communities of color have been dealing with the practices for a long time.”

Mona Samuels spoke about the brutal death of her sister. Minutes after the police left her sister with her abuser, she was shot 22 times and killed. Their cases show how racist and sexist the Minneapolis Police Department is, and why we need community control of the police.

Nicole Anschutz and Nicole Farias-Lezama spoke on behalf of the Planned Parenthood Union. Nicole Farias-Lezama said, “Eliminating trans rights reinforces traditional gender stereotypes and patriarchal systems that have historically oppressed women.”

This International Women's Day, many speakers highlighted the attacks on the transgender community, namely, in Kansas where trans people have had their drivers licenses revoked. On behalf of MNAAC, Natalie Berger introduced a new campaign that focuses on increasing support for trans refugees.

MNAAC’s next action is planned for Trans Day of Visibility. It will be held at Walker Library on March 31 at 6 p.m.

Beth Miller is a member of Minnesota Abortion Action Committee (MNAAC).

#MinneapolisMN #MN #InternationalWomensDay #WomensMovement #LGBTQ #ImmigrantRights

Colorado Springs, CO – On March 8, the Colorado Springs Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (COSAARPR) and the UCCS Feminist Club gathered at Colorado Springs City Hall to stand in solidarity with women impacted by repression, including abuse, police violence, and ICE deportations and harassment.

Around 100 people gathered at the rally, eager to show solidarity with survivors, support women’s liberation, and stand together against violence and oppression. Throughout the event, attendees shared conversations, resources, and messages of support, creating a sense of unity and shared purpose.

Recent events also helped motivate community members to attend. Ongoing public attention surrounding the abuse and exploitation linked to Jeffrey Epstein has renewed conversations about systemic failures to protect victims of sexual violence and hold powerful figures accountable. Locally, community members have also pointed to the case of Micaela Pasillas, a survivor of domestic violence who was shot multiple times by police in Colorado Springs while attempting to escape an abusive partner. Organizers said these national and local incidents reflect broader concerns about violence against women.

“The violence perpetuated onto women is inseparable from the violence, policing, incarceration, and imprisonment of all oppressed peoples. The fight for female rights is the fight for liberation for all,” said Memphis Curry of COSAARPR. Curry also called on participants to continue organizing beyond the rally, reminding the crowd, “This fight is up to us; the responsibility does not fall on some imaginary hero.”

“When there are folks who are oppressed, dehumanized, and erased, we must shatter those chains because a blow to one is a blow to all,” said Sparrow McKinney of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization.

Community members later marched from City Hall to the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office, chanting anti-ICE slogans and calling out Sheriff Joseph Roybal for cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. Demonstrators gathered outside the sheriff’s office to voice opposition to ICE activity in the region and demand greater protections for immigrant communities.

Many carried signs reading “Stand with immigrant women” and “Stand with women impacted by police violence,” highlighting the rally’s focus on solidarity with those most affected by state violence. Protesters also led chants including “Stop the deportations, no family separation,” “From Minnesota to the 719, observing ICE is not a crime,” “They say no choice, we say pro-choice,” and “Donald Trump, you can’t lie – because of you women die.”

After the demonstration outside the building, the group marched back to City Hall, continuing chants and carrying signs in support of women’s liberation, immigrant rights and community safety.

The rally was organized as a coalition effort, with a wide range of organizations including About Face, BREAD Book Club, Colorado Rapid Response Network, Freedom Road Socialist Organization, General Strike Colorado, La Casa Colorado Indigenous Brown Berets, and the Pikes Peak Justice & Peace Commission.

#ColoradoSpringsCO #CO #InternationalWomensDay #WomensMovement #ImmigrantRights

Los Angeles, CA – On March 8, over 150 people gathered at the Boyle Heights City Hall to attend Centro CSO’s ninth annual International Women’s Day celebration. This year’s event featured food vendors and a panel with speakers from Centro CSO’s different areas of work, such as immigration, education and police brutality. Dra. Rocio Rivas, an LAUSD school board member who defends the nation’s second largest district from privatization, served as the event’s keynote speaker.

Jenny Bekenstein, a member of Freedom Road Socialist Organization, explained how International Women’s Day developed alongside the fight against capitalism and the exploitation of workers. Bekenstein, who is also a Teamster at UPS said, “International Women’s Day has a history of women standing up to their bosses, organizing strikes, taking people into the streets, and fighting back!”

Centro CSO also uplifted the demands of reproductive rights for all, an end to gender-based violence, liberation for LGBTQ, equal work for equal pay, legalization for all, and a stop to police crimes.

The audience then heard from a panel of activists including Isabella Rivera, the mother of Jeremy Flores who was killed by LAPD Hollenbeck in 2025; Antonieta Garcia, the co-chair of CSO’s education committee who organizes against the spread of charter schools in East LA; Destiny Martinez, a Teamster activist at UPS, and Verita Topete, an immigrant rights activist and co-chair of CSO’s Immigration Committee.

Panelists shared how they got involved in activism, and what it’s like to be women fighting for causes like public education, justice against police crimes, immigrant rights, and working in the labor movement.

Verita Topete, whose father was detained for many years at Adelanto Detention Center, said, “Centro CSO hosted a beautiful International Women’s Day event that created space for local Chicana-owned small businesses and brought together a powerful panel of Chicanas doing important work in their communities. We heard from women organizing around police accountability, education, labor and immigrant rights. It was an honor to share space with women who are on the frontlines of these fights. The room was filled with women who left feeling seen, supported and empowered.”

When asked about the event, panel moderator Kate Regan, a public school teacher and activist, said, “International Women’s Day is not just a cause for celebration, but also an important call to action. Our event was a beautiful display of appreciation for the work that has already been done, and also a joyous source of inspiration to the women and girls who have yet to find their unique voice in the struggle. We empower each other through sharing our stories of strength and resilience.”

Dra. Rocio Rivas, an LAUSD school board member and strong ally of Centro CSO, closed the event by recognizing women’s contributions to protecting public education from privatization. Rivas is running for re-election this year and has been endorsed by Centro CSO due to her efforts to stop the growth of charter schools.

Centro CSO invites all who want to fight back against Trump’s racist and reactionary agenda to its monthly general meeting at 6 p.m. at the Boyle Heights City Hall.

#LosAngelesCA #CA #WomensMovement #InternationalWomensDay #CentroCSO

Santa Ana, CA- On Saturday, March 7, about 50 community members rallied in El Salvador Park for International Women’s Day. Despite the intense gusts of Santa Ana winds, participants remained in high spirits. They condemned the many attacks on women and LGBTQ people by the Trump administration.

Rain Mendoza from CSO OC’s immigration committee kicked off the speeches and talked about the impact ICE terror, stating, “An example of this are the many women who have miscarried at detention centers, women who were sexually assaulted by ICE impersonators, and the rape of a Nicaraguan detainee at the South Louisiana ICE Processing Center.”

Rachel Pozos, co-founder of AlianzaTransLatinx talked about her experience living in Orange County as a trans, immigrant woman for the last 21 years. “I haven’t always been seen by society with the dignity I deserve. Even then, I get up every day with the force that my identity gives me.” Pozos added, “Being an immigrant has taught me to value my roots, to hold on to my culture, and remember that there are a lot of us who have crossed borders for a better future where we can be ourselves, without fear or shame.”

Local writer Anatalia Valdez presented spoken word poetry focused on ancestral connections and social justice. Posters honoring several women, including Emma Tenayuca, Renee Good and Dolores Huerta, were on the trees surrounding the crowd in the park.

Guadalupe Barragan, a resident and organizer of the Coach Royal mobile home park, energized the crowd with a fiery speech. “I live in a mobile home park and we are having a terrible time. The managers and the owners of the park harass the residents, they take their homes. There was even a death. This person ended up taking their own life. We need to stand up for our rights!” Barragan called out the owners of the park, stating, “The Kingsley corporation are murderers, thieves, and we are not going to allow it!”

While speeches went on, park users started to gather at the event to listen in. In the background, children made art at CSO OC’s childcare station.

The women fighting for justice for their loved ones killed by police were highlighted during the program. A statement by Erika Armenta was read. She is the wife of Noe Rodriguez, who was killed by Santa Ana Police in December 2024. She and her daughters have been driving the fight for justice and to hold the officers responsible accountable.

Pearl Arzola, sister of Albert Arzola who was killed by Anaheim Police in December of 2025 spoke on being a single mother of three while fighting for justice. “There are days where the weight feels heavy, where sleep is short, and when you question if you’r