LGBTQ activists assembled in front of the Arizona State Capitol on Friday, for the We Exist, and We Vote Trans and Ally rally.
The rally at the Capitol was in response to an unreleased Trump administration memo that proposed the redefining of gender as either male or female. This new definition would be based on a person’s genitalia at birth and would exclude transgender and gender nonconforming people.
Word of the memo was first reported by The New York Times. Shortly after, the hashtag #WontBeErased circulated on the internet and was the basis of Friday’s campaign.
This proposal follows the recent transgender military ban that prohibits any transgender persons who plan to or have undergone gender transition from serving in the military.
Nonprofit organizations, politicians, the LGBTQ community and allies spoke at the event.
“Passing this law will not erase transgender people, it will just erase our safety and our rights to safety,” Rajan Shah said. Shah is a transgender man who works as a board member for Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network Phoenix (GLSEN).
The Arizona transgender community makes up 0.6 percent of the transgender population, which is 1.4 million Americans in the U.S., Shah said.
In his speech, Shah highlighted the findings of a study that shows Arizona to be among the 20 states, including Washington D.C., that have a higher percentage of adults who identify as transgender than the national average. The study estimated around 30,500 transgender adults in Arizona, making up 0.62 percent of the state’s population.
Much of the rally’s turnout consisted of allies of the trans community.
One of the many who appeared in support of a family member is Kathleen Waldron, a former human sexuality teacher of 24 years who spoke in support of her son in an interview prior to the rally.
“So many people don’t want to claim they know anyone who is trans, but anyone who knows my husband or me therefore indirectly know my son,” Waldron said. “So we hope to accomplish more visibility.”
Robert Chevaleau was another cisgender voice. He was there in support of his 6-year-old transgender daughter. Chevaleau is the president of AZTYPO, the Arizona Trans Youth and Parent Organization. AZTYPO is a nonprofit that provides support and resources to the parents and families of transgender kids while advocating for their rights.
“So, what does it mean to be transgender? I don’t know, but I argue that it doesn’t really matter,” Chevaleau said. “What does it mean to be left-handed? I don’t know that either and I don’t have to have the full understanding of the ins and outs of a person to support them in their left-handedness.”
“I will allow the left-handed person to have a seat at the end of the dining table, so we don’t bump elbows and it’s okay with me that stores offer lefty scissors so that lefties may cut paper properly,” Chevaleau said.
Chevaleau said in his speech numerous studies have shown a person’s identity as “a separate and unique part of a person’s being” and that mainstream medical and mental health organizations are “perfectly aligned at this point” in the way they separate gender from biological sense.
Chevaleau’s statement was premised on the administration’s memo. He said the memo very quickly and cleanly erases the well-established distinction between gender and biology.
“The memo erases a piece of my daughters’ identity and forces her to conform to a certain worldview. A worldview that has no place for her,” Chevaleau said.
Among the local organizational leaders, statements were given by politicians like Katie Hobbs, the Democratic candidate for Secretary of State and a surprise appearance was made by Greg Stanton, the former mayor of Phoenix currently running for Congress.
One of the concluding speakers was former politician Brianna Westbrook, the state’s first openly transgender candidate to run for the U.S. House of Representatives.
“This is the largest transgender protest ever at the Capitol and probably in Arizona state history,” said Westbrook. She is now an activist and board member for Equality Arizona, a statewide political advocacy organization for LGBTQ rights.
Post-event activities allowed 30 minutes for attendees to interact with speakers and local organizational groups at different booths.
“We’re a small community, and it feels like we’re an easy target to be marginalized, but he’s [President Trump] poking a bear that he shouldn’t be poking because our community is resilient like no other and we’ve been through hell and high water to be who we are,” Westbrook said in an interview following the rally.
The purpose of the rally was to focus on two issues, transgender people being erased and making sure people vote. The only way to change policy and get things done is by showing up to the polls on Nov. 6, Westbrook said.
Contact the reporter at rlstallm@asu.edu.
