“No Hate in my State,” and “No Hate in the White House,” were words expressed on protesters’ boards at Feb. 24’s demonstration for transgender student rights.
The lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community of Tallahassee gathered on the steps of The Capitol and protested for transgender student rights.
Speakers such as Rev. Nancy Dahlberg of United Church of Tallahassee, Andy Janecek, Chairman of the Leon County Democratic Party and President of Capital Equality; and Chloe Bressack, a transgender K-12 school teacher, attended the event to show their allegiance.
The LGBTQA+ community came together to fight against President Donald Trump’s administration reversed transgender student protection efforts. they each expressed their thoughts and emotions regarding the issues and even pitched how they can make a change so that transgender students can have the protection that they need.
Katy Gray Alexander, a LGBT supporter said, “Over 150,000 children in this country are identified as transgender.”
Protester Kristi Hatakka, said “Trans lives matter! It is not a trans issue, it’s a human right issue. Let people live their truth.”
On Feb. 23, Trump’s administration withdrew Barack Obama’s era protection for transgender students that are in public schools.
This exempts transgender students from not only stopping them from being who they are, but also exempts them from using whichever bathroom that they want in accordance to their gender identity.
The LGBT community and supporters argued that the law should have not been passed and with frustration, they agreed that the administration is being unfair to transgender students in public schools.
Chloe Bressack, a K-12 teacher said, “They tell me that my gender, my existence, is inappropriate.”
Bressack also expressed how she was told that she’s selfish because of her being a teacher to children.
“I had people look me in the eye and tell me that I am selfish for being a teacher, selfish for putting myself into a position where I am around children and exposing them to the transgender lifestyle, whatever that is.”
“I will not be spending my entire life pretending to be someone that I am not. I refuse to show students that their gender identities are something to be ashamed of. I refuse to show students that their gender identity makes them a danger to other students,” said Bressack.