➤ TRANS LIBERATION MARCH, from p.6
about having endured sex work at
a young age and emerging from
that experience with strength.
Following the speeches, folks
then proceeded to march from the
park through the streets of Manhattan,
passing by packed outdoor
restaurants and bars near
the Stonewall Inn and continuing
south towards Foley Square.
Along the way, cops perched along
street corners stood guard, car
horns beeped in solidarity, and
New Yorkers dining at outdoor
restaurants clapped and cheered
on the marchers. Individuals even
snapped photos from their phones
as they stood far above the crowd
on their balconies.
To the beat of drums, marchers
— backed by volunteers who provided
water, dispensed hand sanitizer,
and directed traffi c along the
perimeter — peacefully barreled
through the streets to chants like,
“Hey hey, ho ho, transphobia has
got to go!” A diverse collection of
Pride Flags blew in the wind, including
Trans Flags and Rainbow
Flags with Black and Brown
DONNA ACETO
Tahtianna Fermin emphasized that it is important
to embrace Black and brown queer folks.
stripes to recognize queer people of
color, as a long crowd of marchers
followed the lead of Qween Jean.
DONNA ACETO
Marti Gould Cummings, a drag artist who is running
for a Manhattan City Council seat next year.
More speeches were delivered
once the group arrived at Foley
Square, but as the march progressed
— and the fading sun gave
way to darkness in Lower Manhattan
— the NYPD presence appeared
to grow, with additional
cops emerging.
Still, that didn’t stop the uplifting
scene on display throughout the
evening as the community stood
together, united, with the goal of
taking on transphobia and racial
injustice. Individuals rejoiced in
the streets and celebrated Black
trans lives while offering respect to
fallen community members.
The atmosphere refl ected the
motivation of the marchers fueled
by the words voiced by Qween
Jean and other speakers back at
Washington Square. Those sentiments
resonated with the crowd
throughout the remainder of the
night, long after the crowd left the
park.
“I believe in Black trans liberation,”
Qween Jean said during her
remarks at Washington Square.
“I believe we belong here. I believe
that we are enough. We do not
have to continue to prove why we
should exist.”
She added, “Change is now.”
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GayCityNews.com | July 30 - August 12, 2020 7
/GayCityNews.com
