Earlier this week, organizers of the National Transgender Visibility March, announced that the march, initially scheduled to take place earlier this spring, will occur on Saturday, September 28 in downtown Washington, DC and will include workshops, receptions and a fundraising concert later this month.
In a statement, Marissa Miller, transgender activist and lead organizer, said the march will begin with a 9:30 a.m. rally at Freedom Plaza in downtown D.C. Prior to marching to the U.S. Capitol, notable transgender and LGBTQ rights advocates will speak, including Angelica Ross, who starred in the FX series “Pose,” Alphonso David, the new president of the Human Rights Campaign and Earline Budd, a Washington, DC transgender rights advocate.
“Members of the transgender and gender non-conforming communities will take a major stand against hate and discrimination when they rally in the nation’s capital for the first-ever National Trans Visibility March on Washington,” organizers said in statement released early this year announcing the march.
“Transgender individuals from major metropolitan cities including Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, Memphis, New York and San Francisco will come together with their allies calling for equal rights, physical safety and demanding the transgender communities be officially and federally recognized across every state department within this great nation,” organizers stated in January.
Mark Kormann, director of fundraising for the march, recently told the Washington Blade that the group is producing the National Trans Visibility March Benefit Concert to raise money to offset the costs of the march on Friday, August 23 at 7:30 p.m. at The Community Church of Washington, D.C.-UCC. at 7:30 p.m. Scheduled performers include The Seasons of Love Ensemble of the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, D.C. and the Gay Men’s Chorus of New York. For those unable to attend the concert in person, watch parties in over a dozen cities around the country will tune in to the concert via a live stream.
Kormann, told the Washington Blade that the group expects as many as 500 transgender and gender non-conforming people will travel to DC from across the nation to march via a scholarship program underwritten by supporters of the march. Many of the recipients are also expected to engage in organizational workshops the day before the march.
Miller invited anyone that supports equality is encouraged to participate in the Sept. 28 Transgender Visibility March on Washington.
“We urge you to join us on September 28, 2019, as we march in solidarity in support of equal rights and inclusion for our community. March with us to demand justice for our siblings whose lives were taken through senseless murders,” stated on the group’s website.
The Human Rights Campaign annual dinner gala will take place the evening after the march and many gala attendees are also expected to participate in the march.
Headed to DC? Details about the Sept. 28, 2019 march can be found at transmarchondc.org.
