The statue of Simon Bolivar in United Nations Plaza was the site of a rally called by the TGI Justice Project, a group of transgender people inside and outside prison, and Black Lives Matter Bay Area. The rally was called to address the epidemic of murder and violence faced by transgender women of color.
An organizer with Black Lives Matter stated to the crowd, “We know that trans women and queer and our LGBT community has been in the streets every time one of our brothers is unjustly taken from us by state violence. We’ve been in the street for Oscar Grant, for Trayvon Martin, for Eric Garner. It is time for our community at large to show up for trans women.”
Janetta Louise Johnson from the TGI Justice Project talked about the call to action and the crisis facing trans women of color, “Today is Black Trans liberation Tuesday. In eight states and many cities are having a call to action in reference to Black Trans women being murdered. There have been 17 Black Trans women murdered within this year and that are the only ones we know about.”
The names of the 17 women murdered were read and a moment of silence was held to honor those victims of anti-trans bigotry.
Liberation News spoke with Erica who came out to support today’s action. Erica explained, “We are not going to get free until all of us are free. I believe that in our resistance, remembering gender equality and trans lives that are constantly lost.”
The rally ended with the crowd chanting,“Black Trans Lives Matter!”
