Latest news with #IndivisibleChicago
Yahoo
31-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Nearly 1,000 people demonstrate in Chicago to show support for transgender people amid attacks
Christy Cox, 58, says she has been fighting for the rights of transgender people like herself for decades. 'I'm here to really show that queer elders do exist, so that 8-year-old kid over there can see that you can grow up and be a 58-year-old trans person,' Cox said. The Naperville resident, who joined close to 1,000 people Sunday at a transgender rights protest in Federal Plaza, held a sign that read 'survive out of spite.' Cox said this kind of visibility is something she wishes she'd had growing up. Even with attacks on transgender rights from the Trump administration, seeing transgender youths show up with their parents at the afternoon protest gave her hope. The protest, led by the advocacy group Trans Up Front Illinois in partnership with Indivisible Chicago, took place the day before Trans Day of Visibility, which is recognized by LGBTQ+ advocates Monday. Trans Up Front Illinois organized another protest in February outside Lurie Children's Hospital when the hospital announced it would no longer provide gender-affirming surgeries for patients under 19. Since President Donald Trump took office in January, he has signed numerous executive orders targeting transgender people, including a ban that prevents transgender athletes from participating in women and girls' sports, an order that forces transgender women in federal prisons to be housed with men and a restriction on the ability of transgender, nonbinary and intersex people to change their gender markers on passports or to serve in the military. At Sunday's protest, attendees displayed a range of emotions, from anger due to the Trump administration's attacks, to joy because of the sheer number of people who showed up to publicly support transgender people. 'We are a resilient people. Don't you dare tell them we don't belong,' Precious Brady-Davis, a commissioner for the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago and the first Black transgender woman to be an elected official in Cook County, said to the crowd. 'We belong in every (sector) of society, from the boardroom to the bathroom. Quit playing with us. Our lives matter and we deserve to be treated with respect and decency.' The actions of the current administration against trans people hit home not just for individuals, but organizations supporting transgender people in Illinois, with some organizations put into jeopardy as the Trump administration cracks down on funding for LGBTQ+ organizations. 'As many of you know, Trans Chicago staff were laid off,' Tichike Tumalan, program coordinator for the Puerto Rican Cultural Center's Trans Chicago Empowerment Center, said to the crowd. 'Our (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) funding was temporarily cut, and even though some of us were rehired, there's still that instability of whether or not we'll lose these grants again tomorrow.' While the protest focused on transgender rights, the event was endorsed by organizations advocating for other issues, including neighborhood groups, an abortion rights group and a cannabis rights group. 'You are on the people's menu, and on this menu, every single one of us here will be served a course of injustice,' Channyn Parker, CEO of Brave Space Alliance, said to the crowd while holding up a menu. 'We are all under attack. We are all on the people's menu.' Once all the speakers had finished, and just as it started to rain downtown, the crowd marched from Federal Plaza to Trump Tower. ____
Yahoo
30-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Nearly 1,000 people pour into Federal Plaza to show support for transgender people amid attacks
Christy Cox, 58, says she has been fighting for the rights of transgender people like herself for decades. 'I'm here to really show that queer elders do exist, so that 8-year-old kid over there can see that you can grow up and be a 58-year-old trans person,' Cox said. The Naperville resident, who joined close to 1,000 people Sunday at a transgender rights protest in Federal Plaza, held a sign that read 'survive out of spite.' Cox said this kind of visibility is something she wishes she'd had growing up. Even with attacks on transgender rights from the Trump administration, seeing transgender youths show up with their parents at the afternoon protest gave her hope. The protest, led by the advocacy group Trans Up Front Illinois in partnership with Indivisible Chicago, took place the day before Trans Day of Visibility, which is recognized by LGBTQ+ advocates Monday. Trans Up Front Illinois organized another protest in February outside Lurie Children's Hospital when the hospital announced it would no longer provide gender-affirming surgeries for patients under 19. Since President Donald Trump took office in January, he has signed numerous executive orders targeting transgender people, including a ban that prevents transgender athletes from participating in women and girls' sports, an order that forces transgender women in federal prisons to be housed with men and a restriction on the ability of transgender, nonbinary and intersex people to change their gender markers on passports or to serve in the military. At Sunday's protest, attendees displayed a range of emotions, from anger due to the Trump administration's attacks, to joy because of the sheer number of people who showed up to publicly support transgender people. 'We are a resilient people. Don't you dare tell them we don't belong,' Precious Brady-Davis, a commissioner for the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago and the first Black transgender woman to be an elected official in Cook County, said to the crowd. 'We belong in every (sector) of society, from the boardroom to the bathroom. Quit playing with us. Our lives matter and we deserve to be treated with respect and decency.' The actions of the current administration against trans people hit home not just for individuals, but organizations supporting transgender people in Illinois, with some organizations put into jeopardy as the Trump administration cracks down on funding for LGBTQ+ organizations. 'As many of you know, Trans Chicago staff were laid off,' Tichike Tumalan, program coordinator for the Puerto Rican Cultural Center's Trans Chicago Empowerment Center, said to the crowd. 'Our (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) funding was temporarily cut, and even though some of us were rehired, there's still that instability of whether or not we'll lose these grants again tomorrow.' While the protest focused on transgender rights, the event was endorsed by organizations advocating for other issues, including neighborhood groups, an abortion rights group and a cannabis rights group. 'You are on the people's menu, and on this menu, every single one of us here will be served a course of injustice,' Channyn Parker, CEO of Brave Space Alliance, said to the crowd while holding up a menu. 'We are all under attack. We are all on the people's menu.' Once all the speakers had finished, and just as it started to rain downtown, the crowd marched from Federal Plaza to Trump Tower.
Fox News
28-03-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Trans activists set 'survival skills' focus amid Trump's executive orders for Trans Visibility Day weekend
Several events for transgender people are scheduled this weekend across the country's bluest cities in celebration of Trans Day of Visibility on Monday, including a "Skillsharing & Practical Survival" workshop in response to President Donald Trump's executive orders clamping down on progressive gender ideology. "We wanted to materially benefit transgender people instead of just giving them an event or some performances," Zander Moreno, one of the activists organizing the survival workshop event in San Francisco told KQED. "Of course, that can be powerful, too. But I think with the things that are happening now, what's most important is to have trans people feel safe in their communities and know that there are transgender groups that are truly looking to build a movement against the things that are happening in the White House." The workshop is included as part of a broader series of events for Trans Fest on Sunday in the Tenderloin district. Trans Fest – which will open in an indigenous prayer led by activist Angel C. Fabian, who goes by he/she/they pronouns and is known "in ceremonial spaces" as Tlahuizpapalotl, or "Butterfly of Light" – will offer people legal assistance, workshops about their rights, a political education class, and a self-defense session. "Art & Creative Resistance" is also one of the events, where people can do stencil making, printmaking and "hands-on altar making." Skillsharing & Practical Survival will include self defense, "DIY hormones," and "community-led safety and de-escalation," according to the festival's Instagram post. On Sunday, in the downtown Chicago Loop at Federal Plaza, the Trans Up Front and Indivisible Chicago coalition and 30 other LGBT organizations will host a rally and march in response to the "MAGA right, the Republican led Congress, and the Trump administration" who have "targeted transgender and nonbinary people with hate filled policies, executive orders, and disinformation," according to the event flyer. "As a result we face increased discrimination, violence, and the erosion of our rights," the flyer states. "From healthcare access to legal protections, our trans community needs to be seen, heard, and supported now more than ever. We call on all of the LGBTQ+ community and all of our allies to join together to demand equality, dignity and protection of our rights. This protest will amplify our collective voice and demand meaningful change." The Chicago Democratic Socialist of America, Gay Liberation Network, Chicago Abortion Fund and Chicago Teachers Union is among the rally's sponsors. In Atlanta, the LGBTQ affairs department in the mayor's office is hosting a Trans Day of Visibility celebration at City Hall, called "Deeper than Visibility: How We Talk about Us." "Communities are coming together to celebrate and show solidarity for transgender people at a critical moment in history – in blue states and red states, purple states and worldwide," GLAAD president and CEO, Sarah Kate Ellis said in a statement. "Equal treatment is not a partisan issue, it's a value that unites all of us. Transgender Day of Visibility is a chance to show up and speak out for everyone's right to be themselves and be safe, and rally around values of acceptance and equality that make every community stronger, safer, and kinder." The events this year come on the heels of President Trump's series of executive orders aimed at limiting gender ideology influence in federal policies and education. In February, Trump signed an executive order titled "Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports," banning biological males from participating in female-designated athletic competitions. Trump also signed the "Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government" executive order establishing a binary definition of sex as male and female, determined at conception. Several cases dealing with gender ideology, particulalry involving minors, are currently pending in the U.S. Supreme Court.
Axios
12-03-2025
- Politics
- Axios
Illinois Democratic leaders pressured to do more to resist Trump
Illinois Democratic voters are feeling helpless and increasingly frustrated with how elected officials are handling the Trump administration's flurry of policy changes and spending cuts. The big picture: The Democratic party is splitting over how to resist the administration. One faction is taking a pragmatic approach that appeals to voters in the middle, while others want more action, such as protests and interruptions like U.S. Rep. Al Green's (D-Texas) outburst at the president's joint address to Congress. State of play: The restlessness is beginning to materialize in Chicago with recent protests on Michigan Avenue, in front of the federal buildings and at the Gold Coast Tesla dealership. Indivisible Chicago, a progressive grassroots political organization, has signed up thousands for "resistance training" since Trump took office in January. What they're saying:"Yes, we want more!," community activist and Democratic analyst Marj Halperin tells Axios. "It still feels like Democratic leaders are treating this effort to crash our democracy as a variation on business as usual." Zoom in: Illinois elected officials have taken some action, but it's not enough for some Democratic faithful. Attorney General Kwame Raoul has used his office to fight back against Trump administration policies, mostly by joining other states in lawsuits to challenge decisions in court. Gov. JB Pritzker has countered with reassurances about protections and has rung the alarm about what federal cuts, especially to Medicaid, could do to Illinoisans. He's spoken out through conferences, statements and even satire. Between the lines: Illinois' federal lawmakers are being targeted as more Democratic voters storm virtual meetings and in-person appearances. At a recent meeting, Rep. Jonathan Jackson (D-1st) told voters they need to express their frustrations elsewhere. "Don't call the Democrats. You can call a Republican senator from another state. We're all federal elected officials." "Our constituents have asked Democrats to stand up and do more to stop being the minority party and become the opposition party," Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-3rd) said in a statement. "Waiting for the Trump administration to continue harming our communities before we act fails our constituents and erodes trust in their elected officials." The other side: Some Republicans are avoiding town halls at the instruction of party leaders because of the organized opposition to Trump. What we're watching: More than just showing anger, Democrats want party leaders to project a vision for the future that will lure back voters and win elections. In his recent talk at the Executive Club of Chicago, former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel said Democrats need to focus on kitchen-table issues, instead of identity politics. Yes, but: Democrat voters are also worried about countering the current Trump administration's moves. "They want to maintain some decorum, some traditional process, but we want more urgency and we want it every single day," says Halperin.
Chicago Tribune
08-03-2025
- Automotive
- Chicago Tribune
Hundreds gather to criticize Trump, Musk's spending cuts at ‘Takedown Tesla' protest
Hundreds of people gathered downtown Saturday afternoon to protest President Donald Trump and Elon Musk's government spending cuts, carrying signs that read 'Launch Musk to Mars' and 'Democracy Dies with DOGE.' Protesters marched down Michigan Avenue and past a Tesla dealership in Streeterville, chanting 'Elon Musk has got to go.' Indivisible Chicago, a volunteer-led progressive activist group, organized the 'Takedown Tesla' protest. Musk is the CEO and a co-founder of the electric car company.. 'We are really upset about what the current Trump administration is doing, and we are really upset about what Musk is being allowed to do,' said Denise Poloyac, a board member of Indivisible Chicago. 'They're threatening our democracy. They're stealing from us, and we are out here to express how angry we are at that.' Critics of Trump and Musk hope to discourage and stigmatize purchases of vehicles from Tesla, the world's most valuable automaker. For weeks, liberal groups have organized anti-Tesla protests in cities across the country in hopes of galvanizing opposition to Musk's Department of Government Efficiency and energizing Democrats still demoralized by Trump's November election victory. Musk's DOGE has shrunk the federal government's workforce by the thousands and has enacted changes seemingly designed to increase political control over agencies that have historically operated with some degree of autonomy. While some Republicans believe the cuts resonate with voters, Poloyac thinks Musk is undermining 'everything that is valuable in this country.' 'He's eliminating vital services that we all need and expect from our federal government, whether it's protecting our environment or protecting our public health,' Poloyac said. 'Ultimately, he's using it to enrich himself and his cronies.' Demonstrations opposing Trump's administration have picked up across the city recently, including a rally in support of Ukraine and another for democracy. There was a separate rally and march Saturday morning at Daley Plaza for International Women's Day. Katie Conley, a 32-year-old Evanston resident, carried a sign at Saturday's protest that said 'My Body My Choice' and 'Trans Rights are Human Rights.' She said she's felt 'powerless' since Trump took office and wanted to get more involved in protesting his policies. 'Something that really scares me is just how polarized and divided the nation has become,' she said. 'I think that we've forgotten how to have a conversation and how to hear each other. United we stand, divided we fall.'
