Latest news with #TransUnityCoalition
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Transgender group urges Ohio lawmakers to reject ‘anti-trans' budget measures
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — A nationwide transgender advocacy group is convening at the Ohio Statehouse on Wednesday to urge lawmakers to reject 'anti-trans' provisions in the state's budget proposal. The Trans Unity Coalition, a Michigan-based organization, is lobbying legislators on Wednesday against measures in House Bill 96, an expansive proposal passed by the Ohio House in April outlining the state's next two-year budget. Bree Taylor, executive director of the coalition, argues the legislation sneaks in several pieces that are harmful to the LGBTQ+ community. Taylor pointed to provisions in H.B. 96 that would bar funding to mental health facilities and youth homeless shelters 'that promote or affirm social gender transition.' Watch a previous NBC4 report on the budget proposal in the video player above. Ohio Supreme Court reinstates law banning trans healthcare for minors 'Those are unhoused children who many times statistically are more likely to be queer themselves, so to deprive shelters of funding because they are seen as supporting kids who are already going through a transitional process, to me that's just despicable,' said Taylor. 'I don't know how anyone with a conscious could say that is something that is appropriate.' Another is a policy recognizing two sexes, male and female, which states 'these sexes are not changeable and are grounded in fundamental and incontrovertible reality.' Taylor noted the policy, which is modeled after a Trump administration order, could violate the Ohio Constitution's single-subject rule given it doesn't pertain to funding. House Speaker Matt Huffman (R-Lima) argued in early April that it's admissible for the fiscal document to include a sex provision given 'it's accepted science that there are two genders.' Huffman said, 'This simply ends the discussion in the state of Ohio which I think most voters, most citizens of Ohio agree with, and it also prevents us from having months and months and weeks of arguments if we do it in a bill or otherwise.' H.B. 96 would also require public libraries to place material 'related to sexual orientation or gender identity or expression in a portion of the public library that is not primarily open to the view of the persons under the age of 18.' Taylor argued the measure could ostracize LGBTQ+ youth. U.S. Supreme Court likely to side with Ohio group on student opt-outs for LGBTQ+ lessons Another provision would prohibit state agencies from displaying any flag, like a Pride flag or other political symbols, except for Ohio, U.S. and POW/MIA flags. While Taylor argued the measure could make marginalized communities feel unwelcome, Rep. Brian Stewart (R-Ashville) said in early April the flag rule removes 'some of this divisiveness out of our discourse.' 'Whether it's a conservative-coded flag or a liberal-coded flag, let's just go back to our public buildings [being] for everybody,' Stewart said. 'The flags that fly outside should be symbols that are broadly accepted by everybody rather than sort of inserting government into these more divisive ideas.' Taylor said the coalition is planning to meet with various lawmakers on Wednesday to raise their concerns. While she doesn't have faith that legislators will remove these provisions, Taylor is hoping the coalition's efforts will create awareness and persuade Gov. Mike DeWine to line item veto these measures. 'Some of these provisions quite literally do not impact the state expenditure in any manner whatsoever,' Taylor said. 'These are provisions that are in bad faith, purely being snuck in because legislators know that having this massive bill that pertains to money and state funding, they really just want to get that through.' H.B. 95 is currently under consideration in several Ohio Senate committees. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
31-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Hundreds rally at Michigan Capitol for Transgender Day of Visibility
Attendees of a Transgender Day of Visibility rally at the Michigan Capitol in Lansing, Mich., on March 30, 2025. (Photo by Andrew Roth/Michigan Advance) Organizers of a Transgender Day of Visibility rally in Lansing say the event was a 'living testament to trans joy, trans resistance and trans community.' Hundreds gathered on the lawn of the Capitol for around two hours Sunday for a rally featuring speakers, dance breaks and performances by local drag queens. Transgender Day of Visibility is celebrated internationally every year on March 31 after Michigan resident Rachel Crandall-Crocker founded the holiday in 2009 to create a day focused on the happiness of the transgender and nonbinary communities. Emme Zanotti, senior director of movement building and political affairs for Equality Michigan, said during the rally that 'Trans Day of Visibility certifies that we are here and solidifies that we are to be seen as living, breathing human beings' rather than 'just accepting that who we are as human beings is to be hidden, cast aside or kept a deep, dark secret.' While Trans Unity Coalition founder Bree Taylor said the current political climate is challenging, and transgender people have a right to feel hurt, she said it is important to 'find moments of celebration in the midst of adversity and to keep showing up with that joy.' 'When we decide to exist proudly in the public eye, we disrupt every storyline that says we can only be ashamed of ourselves or invisible,' Taylor said. Audra Wilson, who represents the transgender community on Michigan's LGBTQ+ Commission, said events like the rally provide a safe space for people to find a sense of belonging with other members of the community and allies. 'This is somewhere where, even though we're out in public, people get to be themselves. People get to feel safe. People get to be seen and be visible,' Wilson said. But creating a sense of community is just as important for people who may not be as comfortable sharing their identity publicly, Crossroads founder Grace Bacon said, encouraging the crowd to host small gatherings and be intentional about forming friendships. 'We have to ferret out the people who are scared to come out, give them a place to be, a time to be, so that they can be themselves for a little while,' Bacon said. Roz Keith, the founder of Stand with Trans, said that her goal when her son came out as transgender was to ensure that he felt supported and safe in his identity. 'What I learned through this journey is that being transgender is not about changing who you are, it's about becoming who you have always been,' Keith said. Taylor compared people's gender identities to their religion. 'It's something that can't be casually changed because someone else disapproves,' Taylor said. 'It is foundational to who we are, just like any belief that forms the very core of our own existence.' But while Zanotti said celebrating trans joy has been meaningful, she added that it's just the first step towards true acceptance. 'If these next generations are simply visible, it will not be enough,' Zanotti said. 'It will now be our mission and our responsibility to make sure that transgender people are not just seen, but to make sure we are heard, and to make damn sure that we are understood.' Attendees of a Transgender Day of Visibility rally at the Michigan Capitol in Lansing, Mich., on March 30, 2025, hold up their cell phone flashlights to honor transgender individuals who lost their lives. (Photo by Andrew Roth/Michigan Advance) Attendees of a Transgender Day of Visibility rally at the Michigan Capitol in Lansing, Mich., on March 30, 2025. (Photo by Andrew Roth/Michigan Advance) Rev. Ella Silverstar speaks during a Transgender Day of Visibility rally at the Michigan Capitol in Lansing, Mich., on March 30, 2025. (Photo by Andrew Roth/Michigan Advance) Moxie attends a Transgender Day of Visibility rally at the Michigan Capitol in Lansing, Mich., on March 30, 2025. (Photo by Andrew Roth/Michigan Advance) Attendees of a Transgender Day of Visibility rally at the Michigan Capitol in Lansing, Mich., on March 30, 2025. (Photo by Andrew Roth/Michigan Advance) Attendees of a Transgender Day of Visibility rally at the Michigan Capitol in Lansing, Mich., on March 30, 2025. (Photo by Andrew Roth/Michigan Advance) Michigan LGBTQ+ Commission member Audra Wilson speaks during a Transgender Day of Visibility rally at the Michigan Capitol in Lansing, Mich., on March 30, 2025. (Photo by Andrew Roth/Michigan Advance) Local drag artists performed during a Transgender Day of Visibility rally at the Michigan Capitol in Lansing, Mich., on March 30, 2025. (Photo by Andrew Roth/Michigan Advance) Attendees of a Transgender Day of Visibility rally at the Michigan Capitol in Lansing, Mich., on March 30, 2025. (Photo by Andrew Roth/Michigan Advance) Drag queen Sapphire Shade performs during a Transgender Day of Visibility rally at the Michigan Capitol in Lansing, Mich., on March 30, 2025. (Photo by Andrew Roth/Michigan Advance) Gender-identity Network Alliance executive director Michelle Fox-Phillips attends a Transgender Day of Visibility rally at the Michigan Capitol in Lansing, Mich., on March 30, 2025. (Photo by Andrew Roth/Michigan Advance) Attendees of a Transgender Day of Visibility rally at the Michigan Capitol in Lansing, Mich., on March 30, 2025. (Photo by Andrew Roth/Michigan Advance) Drag queen Sapphire Shade performs during a Transgender Day of Visibility rally at the Michigan Capitol in Lansing, Mich., on March 30, 2025. (Photo by Andrew Roth/Michigan Advance) Cindy Jerome attends a Transgender Day of Visibility rally at the Michigan Capitol in Lansing, Mich., on March 30, 2025. (Photo by Andrew Roth/Michigan Advance) Drag queen Sapphire Shade performs during a Transgender Day of Visibility rally at the Michigan Capitol in Lansing, Mich., on March 30, 2025. (Photo by Andrew Roth/Michigan Advance) SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
