National day of action to end violence and genocide on transgender people

On Saturday, October 1, we joined dozens in downtown Los Angeles to participate in the National Day of Action to End Violence and Genocide on Transgender People. Our Struggle-La Lucha newspaper, along with a leaflet, “Struggle for trans rights and socialism go hand in hand” by Melinda Butterfield, were well received. We asked Tsukuru Fors why he initiated this urgent protest. 

“It was initiated in response to the federal bill that Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene introduced to the U.S. House of Representatives on August 19. The bill not only calls for a federal ban on gender-affirming care for trans youth but also seeks to ban federally funded gender-affirming care for all ages. It also bars universities and colleges from offering instructions on gender-affirming care while prohibiting foreign doctors who perform gender-affirming care from obtaining visas to the United States. 

“MTG’s bill wages war on transgender and other gender non-conforming people’s right to exist. As a community, we felt the bill warranted a response; we needed to tell our lawmakers loud and clear that transgender, other gender non-conforming people, and their allies do not stand for such an egregious violation of human rights. 

“As the lead organizer of the nationwide action, I hoped the action would accomplish two things. The first is for transgender and gender non-conforming siblings to feel the presence of the community which encompasses transgender, gender non-conforming siblings, and our cisgender allies so we are empowered to fight these attacks on our rights and personhood. The second is to bring communities together to demonstrate the intersectionality of our fight, while putting the unique issues that transgender and gender non-conforming people face front and center. This fight is not only for the rights of transgender and other gender non-conforming people but also for the rights of all peoples. Namely, we stood in solidarity with the movement for reproductive rights and labor rights. In Grand Park, DTLA, on Oct. 1, 2022, people of color, white folks, gay and straight, trans and cis people came together to collectively declare a war on our common enemy: the racist, capitalist, imperialist and patriarchal world order that oppresses us all. It was the day that made me feel assured that we are building a movement of the people; we are working to see the day when we will achieve liberation for all.”