From Organizing to Supporting
The move from running our own protest to supporting a bigger intersectional protest, and the amazing work of Indivisible Chicago in helping plan and execute protests in Chicago
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When Trans Up Front was invited to endorse the Hands Off! rally on April 5th, it was an easy yes. Trans rights are just one of the MANY rights that the current administration has been attacking, and we were happy to stand with an action that highlighted our struggle and tied it in with the rest of the movement.
Read our last post: What's Next? for more about how we center intersectionality in our own protests.
Our roles for Hands Off!
When we decided to endorse, we felt strongly that our endorsement had to be more than just adding our name to their list. We amplified the movement including the disability friendly online rally, we made graphics for Indivisible to use in their own social media posts, Charlee became a trained protest marshal, and Asher networked with our trans-led and local LGBT organization coalition to arrange a visible trans-centered contingency.
Indivisible Chicago
Indivisible Chicago, launched in 2017 and serves to support grassroots movements to advance progressive values, candidates, and elected officials. Their guidance and assistance in organizing actions is invaluable, including things like providing sound equipment, marshals, a police liaison, coordinating legal observers, and advising on permitting, logistics, routes, etc.
Attending their marshal training was eye opening, learning all of the issues that they train to address in their commitment to fostering peaceful protests. It was a privilege to be a part of their marshal group and have a role in keeping everyone safe, especially for such an amazing record-breaking rally.
General Observations
The protest was huge. Attendance was estimated at over 30,000 in Chicago alone and over 5 million people total. Protests were held around the world in solidarity with the United States during this time of crisis. Protests this large always come with logistical difficulties such as staging, space for all the people, sound amplification so that everyone can clearly hear the speakers (especially difficult with the buildings bouncing around the sound. I’m a bit of a theater tech nerd).
Having a DJ to play before the program was an excellent addition. It was great to amp up the crowd. The program was full of diverse perspectives. I appreciated that they gave time to people who represented some of the more controversial topics in the Hands Off! mission, such as immigration rights and abortion rights. One of the first speakers was Precious Brady-Davis who is a black trans woman and elected official.
During the protest, as part of marshaling, I ran the length of the protest twice. The protest was so long that when we returned to Daley Plaza, where the rally was held, we saw the end of the protest just leaving. We looped an entire 8 blocks, or one mile, packing the streets FULL of people.
The Problem
Unfortunately, the event was not entirely without its issues. The one that stood out to us most to us was that many of the protesters would drop out during chants and callbacks about trans rights. There was even some transphobic commentary overheard from the crowd.
In a movement where we are fighting against the administration’s attempts to strip away rights, there can not be space for fracturing or picking-and-choosing whose rights we allow to be taken away.
When one of the FIRST executive orders targeted transgender people’s right to identification documents, and then the right to life-saving gender affirming healthcare, we cannot allow trans people to be thrown under the bus.
When we look back at Nazi Germany, the targeting of trans and gender nonconforming, gay, and lesbian people began within days of Hitler becoming Chancellor. Magnus Hirschfeld’s Institute for Sexual Science was looted and destroyed within four months (source). The parallels are too clear to ignore. It isn’t a stretch when the current US Administration seems to be copying the Nazi playbook.
The third demand for the Hands Off! movement is an end to the attacks on immigrants, trans people, and other communities. One of the central tenets of the movement is that the Trump and Musk are coming for all of us, no matter what issue matters most to you, “you have a dog in this fight.” (source)
This movement is about all of us, because unless you are part of the 1%, you are on the chopping block, or as Channyn Lynne Parker says, “you are on the menu.” We cannot afford to sacrifice one group, we cannot pick and choose who we save, we cannot sit by as the first domino falls. We will continue to show up for other groups, amplifying their voices and keeping them safe as protest marshals, we just hope that everyone will stand by us too.