State College community members rally in support of trans rights on Day of Visibility
About 100 people gathered at the Allen Street gates Monday to celebrate Transgender Day of Visibility, a national event that took on new meaning this year in the wake of federal action that seeks to roll back transgender rights and recognition.
The gathering was organized by Centre LGBT+ amid what board member and transgender woman Michel Lee Garrett said in a press release is 'a moment of profound fear for transgender and nonbinary people.'
'Trans people deserve the same fundamental rights and freedoms as all people, and it has never been more important for our community and allies to come together to support transgender people,' Lee Garrett said.
In President Donald Trump's first three months in office, he has issued executive orders saying the government will recognize only female and male sexes, banned gender-affirming care for transgender youth, has tried to remove transgender people from the military and more.
Those in attendance at Centre LGBT+'s nearly two-hour event Monday held signs with messages such as, 'you are valid' and 'protect trans kids,' and attendees signed advocacy letters to be sent to local politicians and UPMC.
State College Mayor Ezra Nanes spoke and read a statement from state Rep. Paul Takac, D-College Township. State College, a trans sanctuary city, issued a proclamation for the Day of Visibility.
During the event, at least one person was in attendance with signs such as 'children cannot consent to puberty blockers' and engaged in discussions with rally attendees.
After the crowd gathered with Centre LGBT+ had mostly dissipated Monday, another, smaller group formed after Central PA Trans United posted on social media about the event to 'organize to fight back against anti-trans legislation and oppression.'
For about 30 minutes, more than two dozen people marched through downtown State College, blocking traffic. On Beaver Avenue, drivers attempting to get through blocked and yelled at the group, with one driver exiting a vehicle to confront marchers.
There was no police presence during the march, which appeared to end without incident at the State College Municipal Building.
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Why State College Pride attendees, organizers said this year's was the most important yet
Centre County's most colorful day of the year came Saturday in the form of State College Pride 2025 — the annual LGBTQ+ parade and festival — with organizers and attendees in agreement that this year's edition might've been the most important yet. With nearly 600 anti-LGBTQ+ bills introduced or enacted across the country this year, in addition to some locally vandalized Pride flags and decorations Friday, thousands descended on the rainbow-colored downtown Saturday to support, love, hope and fight. Pride flags hung from streetlights, rainbow-colored crosswalks greeted pedestrians, and thousands of attendees cheered and clapped during festivities that started with a parade, before continuing with guest speakers, a drag performance, and more. 'Last year, the queer community was in a different place, so I think last year was more of an unbridled celebration,' said Michel Lee Garrett, a board member for Centre LGBT+, which organized the fifth annual festival. 'This year, while the celebration is still here, I think we are rededicating ourselves to the importance of community. We are rededicating ourselves to the importance of solidarity, rededicating ourselves to the importance of Pride, not only as a celebration but as a protest and as a prayer and as a promise.' Saturday was not a protest in the strictest sense of the word. Instead of signs and placards, attendees came armed with smiles and colorful clothing. One man wore a T-shirt that read, 'I like my whiskey straight, but my friends can go either way.' Dog owners brought pets decked out in colorful bows and rainbow-colored tutus, while some attendees dyed their own hair in bright colors. Several members of the LGBTQ+ community said they've felt isolated at different points this year, like when Penn State Health discontinued gender-affirming care for minors due to an executive order from President Donald Trump. But seeing everyone Saturday, including all the allies and supporters, provided a needed reminder they're not alone. Scott McKenzie, a State College resident who sported a thick beard dyed multiple colors, never mentioned feeling isolated. But he did remark on just how important that feeling of community was. 'This is all about acceptance and compassion for everyone,' he said. 'Anybody that's actively coming out to support a Pride festival is my kind of person, regardless of whatever else is going on in their lives, because it's just about showing up to support a society of other people — knowing that we're all in the same community together and having an opportunity to just say, 'I'm here with you, for you.'' Added Natalie Hernandez, another local resident: 'It feels deeply important this year. It feels like a moment in time where you want to be demonstrating what's important to you. And just being here is really important.' An overcast morning might've deterred some parade goers, but Friedman Park was filled by noon. Even when those sitting on the lawn were forced to rotate between umbrellas and sunglasses — the rain stopped and started at least three times — the crowd only grew larger. They weren't discouraged by the weather, or by a string of vandalism Friday in State College. According to multiple accounts, the Pride flag hanging over the entrance to Faith UCC on East College Avenue was partially burned Friday and Pride decorations were torn down from Cafe 210. The State College Police Department issued an alert Friday, seeking a male suspect for 'criminal mischief and harassment.' And Chief John Gardner told the CDT on Saturday morning that the suspect has already been identified with the help of the Patton Township Police Department, and charges could be filed Monday. A handful of protesters also gathered at the park Saturday with large signs and a life-sized wooden cross. But about a dozen LGBTQ+ supporters surrounded them, keeping their distance but lifting their own signs and Pride flags so those by the protesters couldn't be seen. When one man with a megaphone began preaching fire and brimstone, some began drowning him out with chants of 'God is love!' The number of Christian churches and Jewish groups that took part in the Pride parade appeared to outnumber the protesting individuals. One of the participating drag queens said they walked over to say hello, before being met with shouts that they were going to hell. But, if heaven was filled with people like that, the drag queen quipped to attendees that they'd be happy to be left off the guest list. 'I've been blown away by all the energy,' added another drag queen, who went by the name Aurora and was named Mx. State College Pride 2025. 'Not that I didn't expect there to be people — it's been busy — but people are still going. It's been really great.' The exact attendance Saturday won't be known for at least another week or two. Anecdotally, some believed the parade wasn't as packed due to the morning's gloomy weather, but Centre LGBT+ executive director Cat Cook found Friedman Park to be more crowded than last year. She believed, in spite of the weather, the total attendance could've surpassed last year's mark of 5,000. Either way, organizers lauded the community for a strong showing. The number of tables this year, such as 'Free Mom Hugs,' doubled to about 70 on South Allen Street. More than 100 volunteers took part, and eight food trucks were set up near State High's Memorial Field. After the parade, where candy was thrown and bubbles blown, the festival kicked off after words from a half-dozen speakers. Grand Marshal Jacob Kelley, a non-binary drag queen whose alter ego is known as Trixy Valentine, might've best summed up the purpose of Pride. 'Take a moment right now and look around because you're seeing love,' they said. 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Joy is an act of resistance,' she said. 'Anti-queer forces would like nothing more than festivals like this to go away, and we're not going to let that happen. Queer joy is a radical, life-affirming act in a world that tells you that you are disgusting and should not exist. To take joy in yourself, and to take joy in your community, is transformative.' State College Pride 2025 was organized by Centre LGBT+ with help from State College Borough, the Downtown State College Improvement District, Happy Valley Adventure Bureau and dozens of other sponsors.
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3 days ago
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In Pride month, transgender Marylanders reflect on strengths, weaknesses, of state protections
Transgender Marylanders and advocates sitting in the Governor's Reception Room for Transgender Day of Visibility on March 31, 2025. (Photo by Danielle J. Brown/Maryland Matters). For more than a decade, state lawmakers passed laws to protect and uplift Maryland's LGBTQ+ community – from marriage equality for same-sex couples to boosting health care access for transgender individuals. The second Trump administration is likely to put those protections to the test. President Donald Trump (R) has signaled from day one of his administration that it was going to be an adversary to transgender people, signing an executive order on the first day of his second term that prohibited gender ideology in federal policy, defined sex according to biological factors at conception and rescinded 15 federal policies and guidelines on transgender equality. In the days and weeks that followed, Trump signed orders banning transgender individuals from girl's and women's sports and from military service, prohibiting federal funding or support for gender-affirming care for youth, and more. Congress is also looking to prohibit federal dollars going towards transgender health care. As they begin Pride month, a time when the LGBTQ+ community comes together to celebrate progress and reflect on setbacks for the gay and transgender community, some Maryland transgender advocates fear current state protections may not be enough to counter federal efforts. 'Maryland is in a better position than most,' said Ruth Carlock with Trans Rights Advocacy Coalition. 'Now that we're in the Trump administration, a lot of those things might not be as strong as we'd hope, and we might need more legislation in the future. 'One thing I've been saying a lot over the past six months,' Carlock said, 'I'm feeling very proud to be a Marylander, while feeling less proud of being an American in this current state of politics.' Lee Blinder, a nonbinary official who chairs the Maryland Commission on LGBTQIA+ Affairs in the Governor's Office and works with advocacy group Trans Maryland, has mixed feelings about the state's progress this year. 'We really are in an excellent place compared to so many of our sibling in other states like Florida and Texas,' they said. 'However, we have not seen the kind of movement that we would want to see from Maryland that we've been able to accomplish previously.' Blinder is particularly disappointed that the Birth Certificate Modernization Act, did not pass. The bill would have made it easier for transgender people to make changes to their birth certificates, among other measures, relieving administrative headaches that can occur when gender markers do not align on various documents. Transgender advocates have been pushing that bill for the last few years. Blinder feels transgender people were not prioritized this past session, and publicly brought those concerns to Gov. Wes Moore (D) during an event at the State House recognizing Transgender Day of Visibility. Blinder criticized what they called the administration's lack of support to protect the community amid federal measures to diminish the presence of transgender people in day-to-day life. 'We know who you, Governor Moore, can be for us, and I am here begging you to do it,' Blinder said, while standing next to Moore. 'It will not get easier to support trans people. 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House Bill 39 and Senate Bill 356 were signed into law, removing a criminal penalty for intentionally transferring HIV to another person, which advocates say was antiquated and discriminatory. But Fair noted that the state budget was a major hurdle to progress across issues this session, as the state grappled with a $3 billion deficit, resulting in widespread program cuts and limited dollars available for new initiatives in general. 'We had an overarching deficit budget that we were dealing with, that was unavoidable and sucked all of the oxygen out of the room,' Fair said. 'Every conversation was buried under this question of the budget.' Despite the slowed progress this session, Fair believes that Maryland is 'light years ahead' of other states when it comes to LGBTQ+ protections. 'It is the incredible wisdom of the legislature over the last 13 years that has truly saved us, starting with the Maryland (Marriage) Equality vote in 2012 and moving forward from there,' he said. During his term, Moore has approved a handful of bills creating transgender protections that advocates say will be crucial in the coming years. One of those is the Trans Health Equity Act signed in 2023, which requires Maryland Medicaid to cover medically-necessary gender-affirming care. Congress is debating whether to prohibit federal Medicaid dollars from funding gender-affirming care. If that prohibition becomes law, the state may have to backfill any federal matching dollars currently supporting gender-affirming care under Maryland Medicaid to align with the Trans Health Equity Act, if funds are available. Advocates are also thankful that the state's shield law for legally protected health care was expanded in 2024 to include gender-affirming care. The intent is to protect the medical information of persons who seek gender-affirming care in Maryland from being shared across state lines, and potentially into the hands of law enforcement in states that are more hostile to transgender people. 'The Moore-Miller Administration will continue to protect the civil rights and livelihoods of LGBTQIA+ Marylanders by working with the state legislature, local leaders, and community advocates to deliver results for this community uniquely targeted by the Trump Administration,' a Moore spokesperson said in a written statement. Due to these and other policies, Maryland is largely recognized a 'safe haven' for gay and transgender people. The Movement Advancement Project, which assesses states based on laws that protect or harm transgender residents, ranks Maryland as seventh in protections on gender identity, and sixth for LGBTQ+ protections overall. 'One thing I've been saying a lot over the past six months ... I'm feeling very proud to be a Marylander, while feeling less proud of being an American in this current state of politics.' – Ruth Carlock, Trans Rights Advocacy Coalition Blinder and Carlock say that Pride month is important, now more than ever, for building community supports to take care of one another even if state protections don't stand up to anti-transgender federal policies. 'It's so easy for the practical needs that are so urgent to take over and to overshadow the very real need for us to be able to find joy and to celebrate,' Blinder said. 'Because it's not possible to survive these kinds of attacks without experiencing joy and experiencing the community connections and bonds that we have with one another.' Carlock said that some advocates have even been more active in the community since Trump took office. 'That's been one of the nice things about the last few months is this sense of community that has slowly been – you know, it's always there, but it's nice seeing that expand in the face of danger,' she said. 'But also recognizing that that positive turn is coming from an existential threat and big fear of legislation to come.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
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Centre officials respond to being on DHS sanctuary jurisdiction list
CENTRE COUNTY, Pa. (WTAJ) — The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) included Centre County and State College in a list of places violating federal law, but even after the list was taken down, it has officials wondering why they were on it in the first place. The DHS issued a list last week detailing several locations in Pennsylvania that were 'deliberately obstructing the enforcement of federal immigration laws and endangering American citizens.' But, going to the list now brings up a page not found notification. Centre County's commissioners have not forgotten they were on that list and wonder what got them on it to begin with. Centre County officials respond to delay on Rockview, Quehanna closure decision 'We haven't heard from the federal government in terms of why we were put on the list,' Commissioner Amber Concepcion said. 'There were a wide variety of jurisdictions that also don't know why they were put on the list.' According to the DHS, every place on the list will receive 'formal notification of its non-compliance,' but the commissioners say they have not gotten any such communication. The DHS described the jurisdictions on the list as protecting 'dangerous criminal illegal aliens from facing consequences,' and putting law enforcement in danger. Commissioners do not believe this describes the county or State College. 'To the best of our knowledge, we're complying with all the relevant federal laws based on what counties do,' Commissioner Chair Mark Higgins said. Commissioners say they have been in contact with elected officials, and while they have been 'helpful,' how the two locations ended up on the list is still a mystery to them. The DHS has not said when or if the list will be going back up. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
