March 4 Trans Rights Nationwide March
The march is on for trans rights. Organizers around Denver are collaborating to raise awareness about trans equalit with the March 4 Trans Rights on August 9 at the Denver state capitol building from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. What originally began as a Colorado event, it has now become a nationwide movement.
Masks are highly encouraged for all who attend, and the use of hand sanitizer and the practice of social distancing when possible is highly recommended. This is intended to be a non-violent march and many trans identifying activists, including state representative Brianna Titone, will be speaking at the end of the march.
The core beliefs of the march organizers are as follows:
“We believe that transgender rights are human rights and that all trans people deserve safety, health, dignity and opportunity.
We believe that BIPOC trans people and others who live at the intersections of transphobia and other forms of oppression must be leaders in the movement and centered in the organizing process.
We believe in change from a multitude of angles, from changing individual minds and hearts to influencing our political and legal system and other institutions of power.
We believe in people power and in the collective resilience and effectiveness of direct action in the context of mass movements.
We believe a just and humane world for transgender people of all walks of life is possible.”
March 4 Trans Rights organizers have written up a list of issues they are protesting, including economic injustice and inequality, inclusive sex education of sex and gender, school sports, protections/ gender acknowledgment in correctional facilities, mental health, long term disabled, and senior care shelters and facilities, and more.
According to the Human Rights Campaign in 2018, 26 individuals who identified as trans or non binary died violently. Their murderers were people they knew, and had relationships with in some manner. In 2019, 27 trans individuals were killed and as of July 2020, 21 trans folks have lost their lives to violence. These are only the cases which we know about.
In addition to being more at risk of physical harm from another person, transgender people are more likely to be exposed to substance abuse and mental health concerns due to many barriers to accessing fair income.
“Around 15 percent of transgender persons are living under the poverty line. For transgender individuals that are also POC, the numbers were doubled,” reported the Human Rights Campaign.
The number of individuals that identify as transgender varies according to different surveys. Despite the assorted surveys and collection of data, trans voices are still not being heard. In 2016, the William Institute conducted a study about how many Americans identified as transgender. The study found 0.6 percent of adults in the U.S. identify as transgender or nonbinary yet those numbers are believed to have doubled since the study was derived.
Related article: Sum of Us Virtual Festival: Wellness Weekend For Womxn, Trans, and Non-Binary
