Thousands of trans people take to the streets for first-ever National Trans Visibility March

Sep 30 2019
Written by Vic Parsons

Cis women send powerful messages of solidarity in defence of trans rights

People at the National Transgender Visibility March 2019. (Twitter/NYCPride)

Thousands of trans people and their allies came together for the National Trans Visibility March in Washington DC on September 28 in support of equal rights for the trans community and to demand justice for the trans people who have been murdered in the US.

The first-ever National Transgender Visibility March saw as many as 3,000 people march from Freedom Plaza in downtown DC, where the event began with a two-hour rally, to a street four blocks away from the US Capitol.

Speakers included Pose actress Angelica Ross and the president of the Human Rights Campaign, Alphonso David.

Many of those marching carried signs saying “Trans Lives Matter” and told the Washington Blade they were marching for the rights of trans people and the lives of black trans women.

Good morning from the #March4TransEquality! #TransMarchOnDC #NTVM is the first National Transgender Visibility March. We cannot stay silent as the current administration continues to single out the transgender community for unequal treatment under the law. pic.twitter.com/2OseLTAwZO

— Angelica Ross (@angelicaross) September 28, 2019

Activists called for policies that strengthen workplace protections for trans people, ahead of a historic anti-trans discrimination case that will be heard by the US Supreme Court on October 8.

We are proud to be at the Trans Visibility March in DC this morning. Today, and every day, we fight for visibility, equality, and the right for our community to live unapologetically. #March4TransEquality pic.twitter.com/iqIwT6IRzm
— National Center for Transgender Equality (@TransEquality) September 28, 2019

Demonstrators were also marching against the Trump administration, which has repeatedly attacked trans rights.

“What do we want?” – “Inclusion!”
“If we don’t get it -“ “SHUT IT DOWN!” #March4TransEquality @transmarchondc pic.twitter.com/q3RbbwFYco
— Brian Romero, LMSW (@Brianr8278) September 28, 2019

Trans women of colour were also front and centre at the march, highlighting the continued violence that they and other trans women face.

David said that the murders of black trans women in the US was a “crisis”.

“As we gather here in the capital of the greatest country on earth there is a crisis raging across our country,” he said.

“There is a crisis that is shattering dreams and shattering lives. There is a crisis that has been largely overlooked by the media.

“It is a crisis that has taken the lives of more than 150 transgender people in the past five years, most of them black transgender women.

“It is a crisis that none of us can ignore anymore. We have to stand up. We have to speak out.

“For those of us who are gay or are lesbian or bisexual or queer or who are straight, we have to stand up for the transgender community. We have to stand up for the transgender community and stand up for them as if they are our family because you are our families.”