The National Center for Trangender Equality held a protest rally at the White House today in response to a leaked memo obtained by The New York Times which shows the Trump administration is considering undermining trans rights by defining gender as immutable and determined by sex at birth, as observed based on genitalia.
“This administration is willing to disregard the established medical and legal view of our rights and ourselves to solidify an archaic, dogmatic, and frightening view of the world,” Mara Keisling, executive director of the National Center for Transgender Equality, said in a statement when the news first broke. “This transparent political attack will not succeed administratively, legally, or morally.”
We're here. We're loud. We're not going anywhere. #WontBeErased pic.twitter.com/Yvs8GNoq5a
— National Center for Transgender Equality (@TransEquality) October 22, 2018
“That building right there is our White House,” Keisling said at today’s rally.
“We are protected as transgender people by these laws they are trying to cut us out of, and they cannot make the laws go away. And NCTE, and a lot of the other organizations represented here, will fight in court; we will fight in administrative agencies; and hopefully soon we will be able to fight in Congress.”
"See that building? That's OUR White House." #WontBeErased pic.twitter.com/1cicrXRsIc
— National Center for Transgender Equality (@TransEquality) October 22, 2018
“Each of these anti-trans attacks has been met with appalling silence and indifference from Congress…It cannot and will not go unchallenged,” added Ian Thompson, a legal representative with the ACLU.
.@ACLU's Ian Thompson: "Each of these anti trans attacks has been met with appalling silence and indifference from Congress… It cannot and will not go unchallenged." #WontBeErased pic.twitter.com/yWgF0R3IRh
— National Center for Transgender Equality (@TransEquality) October 22, 2018
Keisling encouraged people to vote in November.
"We have to stand up, speak out, support each other, stand tall, VOTE." – @MaraKeisling pic.twitter.com/l6f7jHczDy
— National Center for Transgender Equality (@TransEquality) October 22, 2018
Watch a live stream of the event below.