A coalition of local organizations advocating for transgender, environmental, immigrant and racial justice will host the first Trans Liberation Day at the Georgia State Capitol on Tuesday, March 28.
A rally is set for 10 a.m. at Liberty Plaza, adjacent to the capitol building. A press conference is set for 1:30 p.m. on the capitol’s South Steps. Participants plan to speak out against anti-transgender legislation recently signed into law by the governor.
They will also voice opposition to the city of Atlanta’s plans to build a $90 million public safety training facility — dubbed “Cop City” — in the South River Forest. Environmental activist Manuel Paez Terán, 26, who used they/them pronouns, was killed during a multi-jurisdictional operation to clear protesters from the site of the training center.
The first Georgia Trans Day of Liberation at the capitol comes days after Gov. Brian Kemp signed into law controversial bill SB 140 that bans transgender Georgians under the age of 18 from receiving hormone replacement therapy and gender-affirming surgery. The law also criminalizes medical professionals who provide transgender youth with gender-affirming care.
The Trevor Project released a poll in January that 71% of LGBTQ youth — including 86% of trans and nonbinary youth — say state laws restricting the rights of LGBT young people have negatively impacted their mental health.
Those slated to speak at the press conference:
- Li Ann Sanchez, executive director of Community EstrEl/La
- Rev. Kim Jackson, an LGBT Georgia senator
- Ben Haseen, graduating physician at Morehouse College of Medicine
- Peter Isbister, chapter facilitator for Metro Atlanta TransParent
Georgia’s Trans Day of Liberation is being held before International Transgender Day of Visibility on March 31.
The press conference will be streamed on the Instagram pages of The Center for Prophetic Imagination and Community EstrEl/La.