Hundreds rally in Lake County in support of transgender rights; ‘We just want to be treated like human beings'
Lake County was home to a number of demonstrations on Sunday marking the Transgender Day of Visibility.
Several organizations partnered to present the peaceful demonstrations, including the LGBTQ+ Center Lake County of Grayslake, BG Pride of Buffalo Grove, Highwood Pride, Waukegan Friends and PFLAG Grayslake/Round Lake.
Gurnee, Libertyville and Mundelein were also among the rally locations, with more than 400 people combined participating at the Lake County venues.
Attending the rally in Deerfield was a priority for Kristal Larson of Hainesville, the Avon Township clerk and first transgender elected official in Lake County, who also serves as executive director of the LGBTQ+ Center Lake County.
'We are worried about what's happening here in Deerfield,' Larson said, referring to recent events which put Deerfield into the national spotlight with a transgender-related locker room complaint aired by the parent of a girl enrolled at Shepard Middle School.
A transgender student using the girls' locker room had the Deerfield parent accusing school staff of forcing her daughter and students to change clothes along with their transgender classmate.
'Deerfield's a community in pain right now for the queer community, especially for the transgender community and the families,' Larson said. 'We've seen a lot of turmoil happen here recently and people are hurting, whether it's from what's going on at the national level, all the way down to here now at the local level. People are concerned.
'This is where we need to be right now,' Larson said. 'This is where the community needs us the most right now.'
Robyn Whiteman of Lincolnshire stood near a Deerfield intersection as passing motorists honked their horns in support of the demonstration. More than one Deerfield police car patrolled the vicinity, and one pedestrian across Waukegan Road was heard shouting insults at demonstrators.
'We support trans rights and what's been happening at Shepard,' Whiteman said. 'I'm going to support youth and adults to let them be who they are.'
Milo Shapiro of Deerfield, who was also among the rally participants, said, 'I want to feel safe in our country because our country is kind of going down the rails, which is unfortunate. But I want to be able to feel safe, and I want to be able to have a community, and this community is just incredible.'
In Highwood, an estimated 100 people turned out for a demonstration at Mural Park at Waukegan and Walker avenues.
'Why am I here?' Harmony Lee of Highwood said. 'Because I love trans people.'
Alex Sebastian Versage held a sign that read, 'Please Don't Turn Your Back on Us.'
'We exist. We're here. We're human. We are your neighbors. We're your family. We're your friends. We're loving, caring human beings,' Versage said. 'We just want to be treated like human beings.'
DR Smith, president of Highwood Pride, called the Highwood rally, 'a beautiful demonstration of love and support for the transgender community.'
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