Gender Liberation March Rallies for Queer Joy in DC
BYJoan SummersSep 17, 2024
The Gender Liberation March descended on Washington D.C. this Saturday, rallying more than two thousand protestors at the headquarters of the Heritage Foundation, the architects of Project 2025. Their goal? “Defend access to abortion, gender affirming care, and the lives that we deserve,” said Raquel Willis, co-organizer and leader of the Gender Liberation Movement and March.
One might have seen videos from the event disseminate quickly on the internet, with protestors and organizers gathering outside a nexus of hatred in this country that threatens innumerable trans people, queer people, women, and just about everyone with a stated goal of dismantling rights and protections for all — gussied up, of course, in the language of fascism. One such video, shared by Matt Bernstein, quickly went viral.
Eliel Cruz, co-organizer of the march, said in a statement: "It was important for us to have that moment in front of the Heritage Foundation as a way to bring our queer joy right to their offices and show that no matter what they have planned, they will not win, they will not break us or our spirit.” Cruz continued: “Our communities are resilient and we will always come together and fight back against these attacks to control our bodies and decisions about our healthcare. The right-wing apparatus wants to speak about us without knowing or seeing us, and so Gender Liberation March was all about showing up and showing out in our full selves.”
Alongside the march, tents distributed books, organized children’s activists — like art and a drag queen story hour — and a memorial to those lost to anti-trans and gender based violence. In addition, notable faces alongside the organizers included youth leaders, Palestinian and anti-Zionist voices and organizers and organizations like WeTestify, the Trans Latino Coalition, the Black LGBTQIA+ Migrant Project, elders like Miss Major and performances from Peppermint, Junior Mintt, and the House Miyake-Mugler. Julio Torres, Elliot Page and Geena Rocero were also among the speakers.
Prior to the Gender Liberation March, movement leaders Cruz and Willis organized Brooklyn Liberation, which the Gender Liberation Movement and March carries the tradition of.
Photography: Stas Ginzburg
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