Minneapolis, MN – On Tuesday, March 31, more than 100 community members rallied outside of the Walker Library on Trans Day of Visibility to protest national policies targeting the rights of trans people.

The rally was called by the Minnesota Abortion Action Committee in response to anti-trans measures, including the Trump administration’s executive orders E14168 and E14187, which have been used as templates to remove access to healthcare for adults and minors, remove protections against rape for trans prisoners in jails and immigration detention centers, and expose trans prisoners and detainees to conversion therapy, which is considered by the United Nations to be a form of torture. Earlier in the day the U.S. Supreme Court announced a decision that would overturn the right of states to ban conversion therapy.

Yann Chen, an organizer for the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee, spoke about how the U.S. government is not only forcing trans prisoners to endure conversion therapy, but also withholding medications from over 2000 trans people. In addition to these attacks on transgender people by the federal administration, legislators across the U.S. have been proposing and passing state laws targeting trans peoples’ ability to change or maintain their legal documents, or even to use the bathroom safely. In February, the state of Kansas revoked the drivers licenses of around 1700 trans people. 27 states across the U.S. have now imposed some kind of ban on gender-affirming care for trans youth.

These repressive laws and policies have led to a mass migration of trans people to trans refuge states like Minnesota, where the Minnesota Human Rights Act enshrines trans rights as human rights. Lizzie Palmer, an organizer with Communities Against Transphobia, pointed out that trans people now make up 1% of Minnesota’s population, and received an audible positive response when she asked the crowd to applaud if they had moved to Minnesota from another state. However, organizers at Tuesday night’s rally argued that, in order to become a genuine refuge for trans rights, Minnesota must also ensure the ability to live with dignity.

Natalie Berger, an organizer with the Minnesota Abortion Access Committee, listed three demands as part of the group’s campaign for trans rights. The first was to make Minnesota a real trans refuge, with local agencies creating and advertising structures of support for trans refugees like housing and job placement, as well as assistance with navigating the healthcare system. The second demand was to make the name change process cheaper, non-invasive, and private, with Berger pointing out that name changes cost $322 on average in Minnesota and are matters of public record, meaning that trans people’s deadnames, or names given at birth, are accessible by public records requests. The third demand was to fund gender-affirming care at the state level. “It's one thing to say trans people are welcome here. It's another thing to mean it and practice that solidarity,” she said.

Michelle Hanlon, an organizer with Minnesota 50501, spoke about the experience of working as a healthcare provider for trans people, reminding the crowd of the importance of real support for trans people in an era when trans people are under attack more than ever.

“Visibility without support makes you a target,” Hanlon said, pointing out that Children’s Minnesota, a vital children’s hospital within the Twin Cities area, had been forced to end their gender-affirming care program due to politically motivated attacks against their organization.

Jae Yates, a member of the Twin Cities Coalition for Justice, the Taking Back Pride Coalition, and Freedom Road Socialist Organization stated, “I see the same choice before us now. Will we submit, or will we resist? Will we hide, or fight? Will we accept a life where we are second-class citizens, afraid to take a damn piss in public, or will we demand the same respect, dignity and privacy that many cis people take for granted?”

The mood then turned solemn in remembrance of Sam Nordquist, a Black trans man from Minnesota who was tortured and murdered by a group of people in upstate New York in 2025 after he moved away from his support network in Minnesota.

Khrys Wetzel, a member of the Minnesota Anti-War Committee, read a speech written by Kayla Nordquist, Sam’s sister, who asked that protesters remember her brother as more than what happened to him. “Being seen should never come at the cost of someone’s life,” Nordquist wrote. “No one should have to choose between being themselves and being safe. Sam deserved to be seen. He deserved to be respected. He deserved to live a full, long life, without fear.”

Rae Rowe, the cofounder of the Paper Lantern Project, spoke about the organization’s work providing mutual aid and name-change clinics for Asian American and Pacific Islander trans people

Rowe stated, “They’re afraid of a love that shows ways to exist beyond capitalism, beyond tyranny, beyond the powers that be. And the last few months, we have seen what happens when we are powered by love instead of hate.”

As the rally came to a close, the protesters lined the streets with signs calling for the protection of trans youth and for justice for Sam Nordquist. Drivers honked in support as organizers led the crowd in chants of “No hate! No fear! Trans people are welcome here!” and “We’re not here to compromise! Hands off trans lives!”

#MinneapolisMN #MN #LGBTQ #Trans #TransDayOfVisibility #MNAAC

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

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

Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR) was created to honor Rita Hester, a black trans woman killed by an unknown attacker after being stabbed 20 times. It’s become a national holiday for the entire LGBTQ community and all who stand in solidarity with the struggle for trans liberation.

The Trump administration has unleashed a vicious assault on transgender people. The Trump admin’s attacks on all LGBTQ+ people has started with an assault on trans people. The government now “officially recognizes” two sexes. Gender affirming care for youth is being targeted and removed around the country due to the threat of losing federal funding.

Trans immigrants are being forced into work camps and treated with brutality by ICE officers. Trans women are being pushed into men’s prisons and restricted from social transitioning. Trans people’s mere existence has become an ideological threat to the Republican Party, and many Democrats have agreed or refused to seriously fight against these attacks. Transgender people are under greater attack within the United States and around the world than they’ve been in decades.

These disgusting and hideous attacks have not come without consequences for the trans community. Sam Nordquist, a trans man, was tortured to death over more than a month.

None of these deaths should be seen as accidental, as isolated instances outside of human control. The responsibility for the enormous unemployment, suicide, and struggle trans individuals face lies with the United States ruling class, which benefits from political attacks on trans people that reinforce traditional gender roles rooted in the oppression of women, and helps them further exploit all LGBTQ people and women economically by using these political attacks to extract even more surplus value and wealth as the democratic rights of oppressed groups continues to erode.

Remembrance is important, but the only way to win trans liberation and end the constant attacks from the rightwing reactionaries and the Trump administration is to fight back.

Honor TDOR, but don’t simply point out the harm they’ve faced and show sympathy. Commit to raising the level of consciousness and struggle around why attacks on transgender people are increasing. Attend or hold a rally or vigil in your city and use that to connect with trans individuals and organizations in your city. Unite and bring as many organizations as possible to the event and organize people to oppose anti-trans/anti-LGBTQ bills and attacks for your city.

As revolutionaries it is our responsibility to help people understand that solidarity with LGBTQ and trans people in particular is solidarity with an oppressed minority who have a vested interest in opposing the reactionary rule of the United States. We must lead the movement for LGBTQ liberation to adopt an anti-imperialist stance and realize the United States leadership is the greatest threat to trans rights in the world.

TDOR is a vigil and a time to remember and move forward. We need to fight for a world where transgender people are fully politically and socially equal – and only a socialist revolution where the working class is put in charge can achieve that.

#LGBTQ #Trans #TransDayOfRemembrance #FRSO #Statement

San Jose, CA – On November 22, the San Jose People’s Pride Coalition held a vigil and march for Trans Day of Remembrance, a day commemorating the lives lost to transphobia.

“Fight Trump’s Hate, Honor Their Names” was the theme of this year's action as Trump and Republicans’ attacks on trans people and other oppressed people continue to ramp up.

The event started with emcee Evelyn Cooper asking a member of the crowd to say the names of the 58 people who have died since the last Trans Day of Remembrance. Pictures of all of those named, along with candles, were laid in front of the speakers to underscore the number of those killed.

People’s Pride organizer Hazel Tongzhi began the evening by emphasizing that attacks on trans people did not start with Trump’s administration but are part of a larger systemic issue. “Those who died to violence are almost entirely oppressed nationalities – Black and Chicano – trans women. This is not mere coincidence. This is the structural issue of transphobia and transmisogyny particularly and the intersection of it with race and class,” stated Tongzhi.

Pan Garcia Breceda from Community Service Organization (CSO) San Jose spoke on Trump's attacks on immigrants and the Chicano community. They highlighted the local example of Ulises Pena Lopez, who was detained by ICE in late February. Breceda explained that ICE “smashed his car window with a baton and dragged him out of his vehicle.”

Breceda emphasized the importance of solidarity between movements as “both the transgender movement and immigrant movement have received attacks directly under Trump and his administration.”

Lyla Salinas, an organizer with the Freedom Road Socialist Organization, spoke, “Whether you’re cis or trans, the monopoly capitalist ruling class is the common enemy of all working and oppressed people.” Salinas continued, “True liberation for trans people, working people, Black people and all oppressed people will never become a reality as long as billionaires run this country. There is only one path to liberation: revolution and socialism.”

Shortly afterwards, the crowd of people led a march through San Pedro Square and Post Street where a longstanding gay bar is located. As they marched, they chanted, “When trans people are under attack, what do we do? Stand up, fight back!” and “Hell no we won't be quiet! Stonewall was a riot!”

The vigil and march concluded with calls for action and to organize a broad front against Trump.

#SanJoseCA #CA #LGBTQ #Trans #TransDayOfRemembrance

Tallahassee, FL – On November 20, organizers and community members gathered for Trans Day of Remembrance, a day of resistance and mourning for the countless lives lost to transphobia.

The event, hosted by Capital Tea Tallahassee and cosponsored by local organizations, offered a chance for reflection and resistance. As Trump’s attacks on transgender people continue to escalate, speakers like Delilah Pierre, president of the Tallahassee Community Action Committee (TCAC), highlighted the unacceptable impacts of transphobia, and the hope she sees in our movement.

“I don’t think there are any trans suicides. I think it’s all murder. I think there is an intentional effort engineered by a few people in our country, some of the most racist, reactionary, transphobic people, to make life as horrible as us as possible, but I’m glad we’re all here, because that’s not true. We’re here, we’re living! We’re together! We’re fighting together, we’re standing together,” said Pierre.

Between speakers, local drag queens performed, demonstrating that even in times of darkness the trans community will not be silenced. Dancing on stage, they honored the trans people left behind, and gave a glimpse of the future we can fight to achieve.

“On Trans Day of Remembrance, we remember those who we lost, but we also have to look forward. We have to look forward to creating a world where we no longer need to read the names of those we lost in the past year. We need to look forward to a world where we are all free,” said Alice Bostwick, speaking on behalf of Tally SDS.

Finishing the event, Janel Diaz, executive director of Capital Tea Tallahassee, led the crowd in a candle lighting ceremony. As attendees stood together, Jae Douglas, also from Capital Tea, spoke the names of the 300 transgender people lost this year. Once the list was read, the crowd blew out their candles all at once, a quiet moment of solidarity in the fight against transphobia.

#TallahasseeFL #FL #LGBTQ #Trans #TransDayOfRemembrance

Lakewood, CO – The Lakewood city council meeting was packed full of community members on September 8. “There are people here from all across the state, people who canceled their plans, and traveled long distances to be here tonight,” said Jamie Frederick while addressing the city council members, “Trans people deserve to feel safe, feel heard.”

For the better part of the last few months, community members from all parts of the Denver metro area have been continually flooding the bimonthly city council sessions in support of Jax Gratton, a transgender woman who went missing in April of this year under mysterious circumstances, and whose body was found nearly two months later on June 6.

Much about Gratton’s death remains unsolved, from the events that led up to her tragic disappearance to the discovery of her body two months later. The delay means a forensic autopsy is unable to provide crucial details that would, at the very least, provide some closure. The public outcry emanating throughout the city council meetings stems from the lack of concern by the Lakewood city council members, as well as the dismissive manner in which the Lakewood police handled the investigation.

Many believe that, due to Jax Gratton being a trans woman, the Lakewood Police Department did not investigate her disappearance with the same level of urgency as they would have for others.

Family members of Gratton feel that the police dragged their feet and were not fully transparent about the facts of the case. As time goes on, and key questions about Gratton’s death continue to go unanswered, members of the LGBTQ community fear the current rise of transphobia and transphobic violence will not be prioritized by police departments. Kai Martinez, a trans teenager who has been a regular, vocal attendee at these meetings, stated, “I eventually found out what happened to Jax after Jax had been missing for months, and that made me physically scared to leave the house.”

At a past meeting on August 25, Amanda Phillips, reading a letter on behalf of Jax’s mother Cherilynne Gratton-Camis, said, “We need oversight. We need oversight for Jax, we need oversight for trans people. I did not choose to become an advocate, I chose to become a parent.”

Gratton-Camis, though not a resident of Colorado, has been thrust from the role of grieving mother to leading voice for police reform in the state. Gratton’s supporters are demanding independent oversight of the Lakewood police. Their vision of oversight includes the ability for the committee to be independent of law enforcement influence, have actual power to investigate the police, and have unrestricted access to internal documents and records. This committee would, in their view, have placed meaningful pressure on Lakewood PD from the moment the initial missing person’s report was filed to ensure transparency in their investigation.

Gratton-Camis believes that, had the investigation been handled with more care, Jax could have been found sooner, and the police could have had a clearer idea of what happened to her on the night of her disappearance.

Fortunately for the community, their demands did not go unheard, as the Lakewood city council voted unanimously to draft policy in favor of the oversight committee. With the policy being in the very early stages of development, it is not known how many demands will make it into legislation, but it signifies a positive shift in the fight for trans rights and raises the possibility of police oversight.

#LakewoodCO #CO #LGBTQ #Trans

New Orleans, LA – On Friday, September 5, members of the Queer and Trans Community Action Project held a rally outside of the Louisiana Department of Health to protest Medicaid no longer covering hormone replacement therapy (HRT). This loss of coverage, combined with the recent anti-trans legislation introduced by Louisiana’s Governor Jeff Landry, has sparked outrage among the queer and trans community in New Orleans.

Protesters rallied with slogans such as, “HRT saves lives” and “Protect trans healthcare” in response to the Louisiana Department of Health secretly changing their policy to prohibit federal funding for HRT. The only exception to this policy is those with medically diagnosed gender dysphoria.

Many trans people in Louisiana rely heavily on Medicaid’s low-cost health insurance to provide them with affordable medication.

Rory Macdonald of Freedom Road Socialist Organization began their speech by chanting, “When HRT is under attack, what do we do? Stand up, fight back!” They went on to say, “LGBT people are twice as likely to be on Medicaid as other Americans. By taking away insurance coverage for life saving medication, Trump and Jeff Landry hope to impoverish trans people even more.”

In 2021, there was a unanimous resolution at the New Orleans city council to protect transgender and gender non-conforming people’s healthcare and wellbeing. Since then, no changes have been made in the city to keep LGBTQ people safe.

Molly Frayle from the Queer and Trans Community Action Project (QTCAP) said, “The city council's resolution to keep New Orleans a safe place for its LGBTQ citizens has produced nothing. There has been no material, concrete protections enacted. It makes you wonder if it was all a political game, like they are using us as tools to advance their careers.”

Another QTCAP member, River Lynn, expressed their personal experiences with the new changes within Medicaid’s policy. “Being wholly dependent on Medicaid to fund my prescriptions, I have lost access to the medical treatments that I need to survive and survive well.” said River. “Cutting access to gender affirming care among the poor and disabled is akin to practicing cruel medical experiments on innocent human beings. Decades of research have already given us the results: people die.”

Members of the rally sent a clear message that attacks on the transgender people of Louisiana will not stand. The LGBTQ people of New Orleans will continue to fight with allies at their side.

#NewOrleansLA #LA #LGBTQ #Trans #QTCAP

West Lafayette, IN – On Monday, July 7, after months of dedicated community action, the West Lafayette city council voted unanimously to pass a resolution protecting gender-affirming care.

After a months-long campaign, a resolution to protect gender-affirming care was brought to a vote at Monday's city council meeting. Months before the vote, the Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) organized a rally outside the city council building to demand that the resolution be put on the agenda. Following up on this action, members of FRSO and the community met with city council members to discuss the resolution. FRSO mobilized the community to speak at the June 2 city council meeting in support of the resolution. All of this led up to Monday, when more than 40 people, all carrying trans flags, packed the house.

Among those 40 people were representatives from the American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana (ACLU), Pride Lafayette, Greater Lafayette Democratic Socialists of America, Standing Up for Racial Justice, and the FRSO. All showed up to urge the city council to pass the resolution despite nationwide attacks on transgender people.

“The rights of queer Hoosiers are coming under increasing attack by those who would deny our very existence and use our existence, especially those of our trans siblings, as a wedge issue to sow division and hatred,” said executive director of Pride Lafayette Derrick Jones.

The resolution officially recognizes gender-affirming care as a valid form of medical care and protects both providers and patients. Despite this, the resolution cannot overturn existing state and federal legislation. Regardless of the limitations of the resolution, both the city council and the community recognized its power.

Samantha Bresnahan of the ACLU Indiana said the resolution, “serves as an important safeguard for access to gender-affirming care. Through our work, we’ve seen firsthand the harm caused by the growing number of attacks on the transgender community. Not just here in Indiana, but across the country. These attacks have come in many more forms: executive orders, court rulings, new state laws—including here in Indiana, and regulatory changes. Together they form a broader effort to push transgender people out of public and civic life.”

“To the point of this being a small measure. I don’t think it is. Like the woman before me said, it can’t change the law, but it’s an important step in showing that this is a fight, an uphill battle we should be willing to take on,” said Jack Nowinski, a local community member.

Applause filled the room after each of the 13 speakers made a public comment, and as the city council made its vote, in unanimous support of the resolution.

“The city of West Lafayette has just affirmed any unnecessary legal action against providers or receivers of gender-affirming care is going to be a low priority,” said AJ Dunn, a member of FRSO.

The fight is not over. In 2024, the city of Bloomington passed a similar resolution, and FRSO, with the support of the people, has set a goal to bring this resolution to the greater Lafayette area and the city of Kokomo. The people of West Lafayette have shown us what is possible when we stand up and fight for our rights. No matter the attacks from the Trump administration and attacks from Indiana state legislators, the people refuse to back down.

FRSO holds monthly meetings at the West Lafayette Public Library and the main branch of the Kokomo Howard County Public Library. Follow us on Instagram and email us at frsoindiana@gmail.com to sign up for our newsletter.

#WestLafayetteIN #IN #LGBTQ #Trans

Mandeville, LA – On Saturday, June 7, over 1000 protestors gathered in Mandeville to celebrate the second annual Northshore Pride. The streets were closed along the Mandeville Lakefront for the determined protesters to march carrying signs and flags in 100-degree temperatures. Supportive crowds from diverse Northshore communities lined the route, creating a buffer between the marchers and small groups of Christian-fundamentalist counter-protesters.

Large signs towards the front of the parade carried messages such as “We march not just for joy, but for justice” and “We will not be silent. Will you raise your voice with us?” Behind the main banner for the parade, flag holders carried the flags representing different communities in the LGBTQ+ umbrella. In the center, a Palestinian woman flew the flag of Palestine to show solidarity amidst the genocide being carried out by Israel with the support of the U.S. government.

The Northshore is a string of small suburban towns 40 minutes north of New Orleans across Lake Pontchartrain, and the area is politically dominated by wealthy conservative Republicans. After facing longtime barriers from local politicians and reactionaries, organizers were able to successfully host the first Northshore Pride in 2024.

This defiant step was significant because it was taken during the first year of MAGA Governor Jeff Landry’s repressive administration. Landry has been a reactionary leader of anti-LGBTQ and anti-choice attacks in Louisiana, even before becoming governor, when he served as attorney general. In his first year in office, he has taken every opportunity to pass anti-LGBTQ legislation such as a “Don’t Say Gay” bill and attacks the inclusion of LGBTQ people in public life.

March attendance doubled from last year for the second annual Northshore Pride in 2025. The event also received growing support from the local community, with many rallying in opposition to attacks from the Trump administration. This year, organizers chose the theme “Protesting with Pride” to capture the broad anti-Trump movement’s spirit of solidarity and resistance.

The march featured solidarity with Palestine prominently despite pushback from local Zionist groups. The organization Northshore for Palestine led a contingent with members of New Orleans groups Queer and Trans Community Action Project and New Orleans Stop Helping Israel’s Ports. The contingent carried on the militant legacy of Stonewall as it led the crowd in radical chants while most other contingents danced to music on stereos. The crowd was fired up by a chant quoting the Stonewall hero Marsha P. Johnson, “Not one of us is free, until all of us are free!”

#MandevilleLA #LA #LGBTQ #Pride #Trans #NorthshorePride

Seattle, WA – On Saturday, May 24, Seattle’s LGBTQ community and their allies protested an anti-queer, Christian evangelist rally at the Capitol Hill neighborhood’s Cal Anderson Park. They protested the rally that was called by the group Mayday USA, which aims to classify transgender people as mentally ill and to legally define life as starting at conception.

Although the Seattle community outnumbered the reactionaries, the Seattle Police Department (SPD) wasted no time in acting as the reactionaries’ personal armed guard.

In total, 16 protesters were arrested by the time the police were walked out of the block by protesters.

Members of the Seattle community began gathering at the park at noon, with a long lineup of bands forming a DIY punk show. Protesters gathered at the site where the stage being set up. Around 1:30 p.m., Seattle Police intentionally forced their way into a large group, indiscriminately shoving and pepper spraying protesters.

This invited resistance from the pro-LGBTQ crowd, which the police then further escalated into several arrests. This resolved the rest of the community to action, with a short skirmish between the community and SPD following. Eventually, the police withdrew with the arrestees but were forced into a temporary retreat in order to do so; all while the community yelled “SPD, KKK, IDF, they’re all the same!”

The protesters wasted no time in taking advantage of SPD’s time-out, marching their picket line into the reactionaries’ event space and kettling them. The protesters were further aided by spontaneous technical issues with the right-wingers’ sound system, killing the speakers’ momentum and intensifying the confrontation.

The reprieve from the police was unfortunately not permanent. The Seattle cops rallied backup and forced their way between the two fronts. The police defended the reactionaries and forcefully regained about half of the distance forfeited.

After creating space, they established a wall of metal barriers. At multiple points when the SPD relaxed, protesters pushed through the walls, leading to police dragging out community members by the arms and legs while friends and allies attempted to recover them. Many Seattle police officers were spotted with body cameras turned off while they defended the barrier.

The event was scheduled to end at 4 p.m., but the right-wing speakers signaled that they were going to continue the event with no definite end, at which time the protesters took positions for the long haul. For an additional three hours the community continued the struggle, flying pride flags, picketing with signs, and chanting to the tune of “Trans rights are human rights!” while the local police department was reinforced by SWAT officers and Washington State Troopers.

After five long hours, the reactionaries relented and began tearing down their attendees left the park and protesters chanted to get out of their home. The fight was not yet over, however, as the police had yet to leave.

The SPD lunged to arrest one more protester before the crowd broke down the barriers to march onto the former event space and corner the police at the edge of the park.

Forming a wall of bodies to prevent them from regaining ground, the community endured pepper spray and multiple escalations of force before the cops realized the futility and began trying to bargain. They promised to leave if the people ceded 15 feet of distance, but the police officers were the only ones taking orders. United and defiant, the people held their ground and even gained territory during the standoff, shouting “Go home!” in unison.

Eventually, the last of the cops began to flee, tails between their legs, loading onto their bikes and into their vans. The triumphant crowd followed them into the streets, walking them down and out of their neighborhood to a victorious chorus of “A-C-A-B. All cops are bastards!” The galvanized demonstrators returned to reoccupy their park, enjoy the continuing punk show, and disperse for rest, recovery and food in celebration of a hard-won struggle.

#SeattleWA #WA #LGBTQ #Trans

Appleton, WI – Hundreds of workers, queer activists and community members flooded Houdini Plaza in Appleton, Wisconsin, on May 1, International Workers Day, kicking off a march that would face police repression before triumphantly returning to cheers of public support.

The action, organized by Hate Free Outagamie, Appleton Area NOW, Fox Valley Indivisible, ESTHER Fox Valley and other grassroots groups, sent an unmistakable message, that their solidarity is stronger than their oppression.

Opening call to action: “Defend your neighbors!”

Rev. Hannah Roberts Villnave of Fox Valley Unitarian Universalist Fellowship opened the rally with a fiery challenge, stating, “Loving your neighbor means getting in the way of deportations, standing between trans folks and their attackers. They'll have to go through us first!” as the crowd responded with roars of approval.

Labor's fighting legacy

Jay Gibbs of UFCW Local 1473 grounded the day in Wisconsin's radical labor history, referring to events from the Bay View Massacre to current union drives. “May Day was born from blood spilled for the eight-hour day,” Gibbs said, “When we fight for the worker next to us, we fight for every worker.”

Highlighting the militant labor movement’s deep roots in Wisconsin, Gibbs slammed bosses and politicians who “prioritize profits over people” and cynically divide workers by race, gender or identity.

“Solidarity is how we win,” Gibbs declared, “When we fight for the worker next to us, we fight for every worker.”

Queer and worker solidarity

Mary Bogen, chair of Hate Free Outagamie, spoke on the fundamental link between the labor movement and the fight for queer liberation. They cited the examples of the armed lesbians who defended auto workers from strikebreakers in the 1930s, as well as the queer activists who marched with British miners who resisted Thatcher in the 1980s.

As the Trump administration escalates its attacks on trans healthcare and educators, Bogen castigated the Outagamie County Board for its continued opposition to a Trans Sanctuary ordinance, flying in the face of the will of the people embodied in the nearly 2000 petition signatures from workers, union members and allies.

“Their silence abandons trans workers, youth and families,” Bogen said, “But we say: Not here. Not ever. When one of us is denied safety, when one of us is stripped of healthcare, when one of us is forced into the shadows; every worker is weaker for it.”

Police repression meets people's power

As the march arrived at the Outagamie County courthouse from Houdini, it was greeted by almost a dozen Appleton Police Department squad cars and officers. A wall of squad cars and officers blocked the second leg of the march from returning to Houdini plaza from the courthouse. Officer William Berens, who has a history of targeting the movement, particularly women and non-binary people shoved a security team member multiple times.

When chants of “Let us march!” were ignored, the crowd pivoted to sidewalk protest, drawing honks and cheers from passing drivers. “APD showed their true role as enforcers for the powerful,” said Hate Free Outagamie Co-chair Tanner Ziebell, “But we showed our power; disciplined, united and unstoppable.”

This marks at least the second time Officer Berens has physically harassed protest marshals, the first time being at a Palestine march, now at May Day. APD's pattern is clear. But Appleton’s activists will keep marching, organizing, and fighting back. “They tried to stop us, but we marched anyway,” said UFCW organizer and HFO member Jay Gibbs, “That's the spirit of May Day!”

#AppletonWI #WI #Labor #LGBTQ #ImmigrantRights #Trans #UFCW

Minneapolis, MN – On Friday, March 28, 200 protesters gathered outside of Walker Library to rally against escalating attacks targeting the trans community.

Protesters demanded an end to the compliance with Trump’s transphobic executive orders and policies, and an end to the barriers to HRT access in the state, for Minneapolis to become a sanctuary city for trans people, and for Minneapolis Public Schools to expand protections for trans youth. Protesters also demanded justice for Sam Nordquist, a transgender man from Minnesota killed in a racist and transphobic hate crime.

This year, Trans Day of Visibility falls amid particularly intense political violence and widespread campaigns for the dehumanization of trans people. However, the large showing of support both from attendees and those passing by during a busy rush hour illustrated that despite the attacks, trans people are building power and fighting back.

“We have to be the ones to protect us. If we are going to fight our way out of this, we have to be able to rely on each other and not state actors to protect us from state violence,” said Jae Yates of Twin Cities Coalition for Justice.

“I encourage you all to become vested in your communities. Continue going to rallies like this, show up for your neighbors in times of need, join an organization fighting for human rights, because after all, trans rights are human rights,” said Lestat Clemmer, an organizer with Minnesota Abortion Action Committee (MNAAC).

The Twin Cities have become a hotbed of trans organizing, and in Minnesota, a thriving trans community has been built despite the political attacks across much of the country. Many trans people fleeing violence in their home states have relocated to Minnesota in recent years. Minnesota Transplants, an organization that supports trans people that have fled to Minnesota was founded a year ago and has already grown to 600 members.

“We have to fight to keep Minnesota safe for everybody who has left everything behind,” said a founder of Minnesota Transplants. “Find your people. Find people who can support you and keep you strong through all of this. It’s hard to fight this alone and you shouldn’t have to do that.”

The protest’s turnout, and the voices of trans leaders from so many different movement spaces across the Twin Cities, demonstrates just how expansive the movement for trans liberation is. That movement will only continue to grow as trans people continue to fight back.

This protest was organized by the Minnesota Abortion Action Committee (MNAAC) in cooperation with Twin Cities Coalition for Justice and the Taking Back Pride Coalition.

#MinneapolisMN #MN #LGBTQ #Trans #TransDayOfVisibility #MNAAC #TCC4J

La Organización Socialista Camino de la Libertad se solidariza con todas las personas trans en su lucha por justicia y liberación en el Día de la Visibilidad Trans. Históricamente, las personas trans han enfrentado opresión sistemática en todos los sectores de la sociedad, y hacer una transición pública casi siempre significaba perder tu comunidad, tu empleo, y posiblemente hasta tu vida.

La administración de Trump quiere traer de regreso esos días a los Estados Unidos. La administración ha declarado que las personas trans no existen y que los Estados Unidos solo reconocerá dos sexos. No ha habido ninguna lucha coordinada contra esta orden ejecutiva ni contra otros ataques a la población trans por parte de políticos demócratas. Algunos incluso aplauden o apoyan en silencio estos ataques.

Los ataques de Trump a la financiación escolar buscan eliminar los programas de Diversidad, Equidad e Inclusión (DEI), haciendo más probable que no se recopilen datos sobre estudiantes y trabajadores trans. Después de sensacionalizar a las atletas trans, él quiere eliminarlas de los deportes. Usando este chivo expiatorio, el presiona para lograr una eliminación total en la educación y más allá.

Los reaccionarios que quieren remover a las personas trans de la vida pública y arrebatarles cada victoria de derechos civiles que gente LGBTQ ha ganado solo pueden ser derrotados de una manera. Debemos construir un movimiento de masas donde liderazgo trans desafíe visible y audazmente a la clase dominante. Y debemos unirnos con todos los pueblos oprimidos para crear una lucha política que todo el poder económico, militar y político de los Estados Unidos no pueda igualar.

En todo el país, miembros de la Organización Socialista Camino de la Libertad han encabezado la lucha por la liberación LGBTQ y de las mujeres al oponerse en contra de proyectos de ley anti-LGBTQ, organizando eventos para el Día Internacional de las Mujeres, y construyendo organizaciones LGBTQ donde sea posible.

OSCL está involucrado en luchas contra los centros de crisis de embarazo que intentan manipular y engañar a las mujeres embarazadas, se ha organizado para recuperar el orgullo LGBT de corporaciones y la policía, y se ha movilizado para proteger a jóvenes LGBTQ. El Día de la Visibilidad Trans no puede ser donde termina nuestra organización por la lucha trans y LGBTQ en particular. Cada vez que la represión y la reacción derechista ataque a pueblos oprimidos, es el deber de los verdaderos revolucionarios oponerse dondequiera que lo vean. Nuestro trabajo debe unir la lucha por la liberación trans con todos los movimientos que actualmente luchan por liberarse de la explotación, para que podamos acabar con el dominio de los capitalistas monopolistas y crear un sistema socialista donde el poder pertenezca a los oprimidos, no a los explotadores.

#LGBTQ #Trans #TransDayOfVisibility #FRSO #OSCL #Statement

The Freedom Road Socialist Organization stands in solidarity with all trans people seeking justice and liberation on Transgender Day of Visibility. Historically, transgender people have been systematically oppressed in all sectors of society, and publicly transitioning would almost certainly mean the loss of your community, your employment, and possibly even your life.

The Trump Administration wants to bring those days back to the United States. The administration has stated that transgender people do not exist and that the United States will only recognize two sexes. There has been no coordinated fight against this executive order or others on the transgender population from Democratic politicians. Some even applaud or quietly approve of these attacks.

Trump’s attacks on school funding aim to eliminate DEI programming, making it more likely that data about the transgender students and staff will not be collected. After sensationalizing trans women athletes, he wants to eliminate them from sports. Using this scapegoat, he pushes for complete erasure in education and beyond.

The reactionaries who seek to see trans people removed from public life and deprived of every civil rights victory LGBTQ people have won can only be defeated in one way. We must build a mass movement where trans leadership visibly and audaciously challenges the ruling class. And we must unite with all other oppressed people to build a political struggle that all the strength of the United States economic, military, and political power cannot match.

Across the country, members of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization have been leading the struggle for LGBTQ and women’s liberation by fighting back against anti-LGBTQ bills, organizing International Women’s Day Events, and building LGBTQ organizations whenever the possibility arises.

FRSO is involved in fights against crisis pregnancy centers that attempt to manipulate and deceive pregnant women, has organized to take back pride from corporations and police, and has mobilized to protect LGBTQ youth. Transgender Day of Visibility cannot be where our organizing for LGBTQ and trans struggles in particular ends. Whenever repression and rightwing backlash target oppressed peoples, it is the work of real revolutionaries to oppose it anywhere they see it. Our work must unite the struggle for trans liberation to every movement currently fighting for liberation from exploitation, so we can end the rule of the monopoly capitalists and create a socialist system where power belongs to the oppressed, not the exploiters.

#LGBTQ #Trans #FRSO #Statement

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 #