A few dozen community members, elected officials and allies gathered to celebrate Transgender Visibility Day in State College on Monday, rallying against government policies they say harm the trans community.
Centre LGBT+ hosted the rally at the Allen Street gates in support of the transgender, nonbinary and gender-diverse community. The crowd waved trans pride flags, held signs and signed letters advocating for trans rights.
Michel Lee Garrett said Transgender Day of Visibility is both a celebration of trans community joy and an act of resistance against oppression.
“We as a nation are founded on the principle that all people deserve life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness," Lee Garrett said, "and trans people, non-binary people, queer people deserve that same right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness unimpeded by injustice.”
Lee Garrett said she rejects policies and executive orders that restrict trans people's access to gender affirming medical care and affect their day-to-day lives.
“The Trans community and the non-binary and gender expansive community broadly are certainly bearing the brunt of a lot of these attacks, and have been a focus of a lot of these policies and these executive orders,” Lee Garrett said. “But the LGBT+ community stands together.”
Yvette Willson said these policies hurt everyone in the long run.
“No matter what side or whatever of the political spectrum you're on, we shouldn't be making rules that are affecting basic human rights, " Willson said. “Everybody has a right to live their lives, to live to their fullest potential, and it's really important that we support that.”
Jason Maas stood across the street, the lone counter-protester. He held up signs that said, "The weakest men compete with girls. The weakest minds celebrate it" and "Gender ideology does not belong in schools." He said he thinks it's important to have someone provide an alternative perspective.
“There's a lot of de-transitioners who have gone through transgender transition processes who have come out the other side saying it doesn't work. It didn't fix my problems. It's not helpful,” Maas said. “And I think they need to be listened to as well. I'm not one of them, but they're out there.”
A National Institutes of Health meta-analysis found that 1% of transgender and gender non-conforming individuals who undergo gender-affirmation surgeries regret the decision.
After the rally, members of the Central Pennsylvania Trans alliance marched down College Ave and made their way toward the State College Borough building.