Appleton, WI – On May 22, Appleton Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) hosted a rally in solidarity with trans rights. Nearly 40 students, faculty and staff, and community members turned out. Appleton SDS was joined by Lawrence University Young Democratic Socialists of America, the Gender and Sexuality Diversity Center, and LU PRISM— two student queer organizations. The rally was a student-led effort in response to the transphobic comments made by Tim Hermes of the Outagamie County Board of Supervisors.

The first response to the reactionary county official was on Tuesday, May 16, when members of Freedom Road Socialist Organization, Appleton SDS, and members of the community gathered in front of the Outagamie County Courthouse to demand accountability from Hermes. Appleton SDS saw the necessity to bring more attention to the bigoted Hermes on campus. The comments made by the county supervisor were not to be taken lightly considering many members of the Lawrence University transgender community do not feel safe and are often targets of abuse while in Appleton.

Jonnie Urban, member of Appleton SDS and the GSDC, spoke of their experiences as a trans person within the transphobic climate of the country. They expressed that being trans is not a choice and that they were not “groomed” to be trans, contrary to what people like Hermes and his supporters would claim.

Urban condemned the wave of attacks against trans rights, saying, “It is an affront to human rights.” Urban then explained, “Texas Governor Greg Abbott proposed the idea of compiling a list of transgender residents within the state.”

Hermes’ comments in Appleton and the recent attempts to curtail Pride in Marshfield, Wisconsin, demonstrate that reactionaries at all levels, be it in government or from elsewhere in society, are attempting to suppress the movement for LGBTQ liberation.

“They tell fake stories about their children supposedly being indoctrinated by queer people and have fantasies about having to protect their children and society from us, seeing us just existing as a threat. All of this because they wish to police and control us with the end goal of eradicating us from society,” Urban said.

“The attacks, both national and local, on trans rights cannot be taken lightly. This is a fight that has been waged for a long time – trans people existed in pre-colonial societies around the world, to deny this is to not have a materialist understanding of history,” said Audari Tamayo, a leader with Appleton SDS and member of Freedom Road Socialist Organization.

To finish off the rally, the students chanted “Trans rights now!” and “Hate-free Outagamie!”, asserting SDS’s position that trans people have and will forever be here. The student’s action did not stop here as they called all in attendance to join the concerted demand for Hermes's resignation the following day at the Outagamie County Courthouse.

Appleton SDS showed that students have an important role to play in the fight for trans liberation. Students and youth were a substantial portion of those who demanded Hermes resign at the county meeting.

“We cannot allow the attacks on transgender people within this country to continue, we are in a crisis for our safety and require the help of those who claim to be allies immediately,” said Jonnie Urban from SDS.

“A united struggle for the liberation of all oppressed peoples – trans people, working people, and oppressed nationalities – is necessary to create a truly democratic and free world for all. Trans liberation now!” concluded Audari Tamayo.

#AppletonWI #transphobia

Appleton, WI – On May 16, a dozen community members gathered outside the Outagamie County Government Center in Appleton on short notice. Their purpose? To demand accountability from County Board Member Tim Hermes, who recently made transphobic comments during a May 9 county board meeting. When confronted about the comments, Hermes deflected by saying he was “simply asking questions.”

The reality is that Hermes is an anti-trans, anti-gay, racist conspiracy theorist, at least based on his personal Facebook profile. The people of Appleton and surrounding communities in the county are taking it upon themselves to demand action from the county board.

The demonstrators, representing a diverse cross-section of Appleton's population, were armed with a shared belief in standing up against hate and discrimination. Community members in Appleton were angered when they learned of the comments. The fact that this kind of person is sitting on a governing board is intolerable.

“We're not going to stand for transphobic hate in Appleton, Lawrence, anywhere,” said Audari Tamayo, a member of Freedom Road Socialist Organization and Appleton Students for a Democratic Society.

The demonstrators have vowed to maintain their protest, refusing to let Hermes' harmful remarks go unchecked. Their immediate demand is for the county board to take decisive action against Hermes, sending a clear message that hate speech has no place in public office. They are adamant that such conduct should be met with swift and appropriate consequences, as it undermines the principles of equality and respect.

Looking ahead, another rally is organized and there is a plan to attend the next county board meeting on May 23. This gathering will serve as a powerful collective voice of Appleton, demanding accountability, and urging the county board to address the situation with the gravity it deserves. By bringing attention to Hermes's social media activity, they hope to shed light on the pervasive nature of discrimination and bigotry, emphasizing the need for proactive measures.

By holding their elected representatives accountable, the people of Outagamie County are not only demanding justice for themselves but also creating a safer and more inclusive environment for future generations.

#AppletonWI #transphobia

Arlington, TX – On March 23, Progressive Student Union at the University of Texas at Arlington held a protest condemning the transphobic attacks that Governor Greg Abbott and Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick have imposed on Texan families. Both men attempted to direct the state Department of Family and Protective Custody to consider gender reaffirming therapeutics, such as puberty blockers, hormonal treatment and other aspects of trans healthcare, to be classified as “child abuse,” thereby making both families that support their trans youth and licensed professionals who are either aware of or support said youths getting the necessary healthcare liable to charges of “child abuse” or “abetting child abuse.”

The demonstration had 20 participants, and several Progressive Student Union (PSU) members gave speeches regarding defending trans youth and condemning the agenda of Abbott’s administration. PSU’s Ren Butter stated, “We have to stand up against transphobia, because we see that they’re going to continually attack us for trying to live.”

Jay Rodriguez and Rick Majumdar spoke on the fact these attacks are happening as part of a national campaign to roll back the hard-fought civil liberties that the LGBTQ+ community has won over the years.

Mark Napieralski, chief organizer of PSU, brought the focus back to the University of Texas at Arlington as he said, “There are many lacking things regarding LGBTQ+ support on campus, despite the claims that they support diversity,” and he announced that PSU has five demands.

Then five members of PSU each spoke about the five-point demands that the organization was issuing to UTA: To have gender neutral housing units in every single dorm; have dispensers for menstrual healthcare products in every single gender neutral bathroom on campus; hiring more counselors who specialize in gender dysphoria and mental health issues related to the LGBTQ+ community; that President Teik C Lim and future president write a statement condemning transphobia and setting up policies to oppose transphobia on campus; and that UTA follow the city of Austin’s example and declare itself a sanctuary campus for the LGBTQ+ community.

PSU will be continuing to agitate and demand equity for the trans community on campus.

#ArlingtonTX #LGBTQRights #UniversityOfTexasArlington #antiLGBTQLegislation #Abbott #PSU #transphobia