S.F. Trans March: Thousands kick off Pride Weekend with defiant display of ‘queer joy'
Thousands of transgender people and their allies marched defiantly through San Francisco's streets Friday evening in an annual gathering with more urgency than ever in its 21-year history.
The mood at the Trans March was mostly celebratory, though with transgender rights under attack nationally, the feeling of protest was undeniable. The event consisted mostly of people in their 20s and 30s, though it also attracted children and older adults.
'This is my favorite part of Pride Weekend every year because it feels the most like a protest and the most community-building, and I think that makes it really special,' said marcher Jeremy Gottlieb.
Trans March participants had plenty to protest this year, with President Donald Trump attempting to erase their existence. Upon taking office in January, the president declared that the nation will recognize only two genders, based on biology. This week, he ordered California to ban trans athletes in public schools and strip them of their awards. Legislation nationwide has sought to limit transgender visibility, legal protections and health care access.
'Our existence should not be political,' said Lucas S., another marcher. 'If you look back as far as human history dates, trans and nonbinary people have been recorded in history, so no amount of legislation or close-mindedness is going to change the fact that we were born this way and we will continue to exist and support each other as a community. That's why we're all here — to support each other.'
After a day of activities and live performances in Dolores Park, a crowd that organizers estimated at more than 10,000 headed down Market Street to the Transgender District at Turk and Taylor streets in the Tenderloin. That was the site of the 1966 Compton's Cafeteria riot, in which drag queens and trans women fought back after years of police harassment.
The Trans March has grown considerably since its start in 2004 with a few hundred people who answered the call of an anonymous email circulated among activists advocating increased visibility and acceptance.
'I think it's especially important for people to show up for in person events and reach out to each other,' said Jean Vila, a postdoctoral biology scholar at UC Berkeley. 'The more we show up as a community and support each other the more we can provide resources and the more we can help resist what's happening nationwide.'
The Trans March kicked off a weekend of LGBTQ Pride events, culminating with Saturday's afternoon of entertainment at Civic Center and Sunday's SF Pride Parade up Market Street from the Embarcadero to Civic Center starting at 10:30 a.m.
James Irving, a trans Oakland resident, pumped their right fist in the air in somewhat of a power pose as a marching band played and a large crowd cheered from the sidelines.
'I have a feeling that most of the people here either identify as trans or fluid in some way, and same with their sexuality,' said Irving, who wore neon green 'They' and 'Them' earrings. 'These people are being so true to themselves, and they're among people that are also being true to themselves.'
Some marchers carried signs, with slogans including 'God is trans,' 'Keep your fauxking hands off of my beautiful trans wife,' and 'Loving a trans person is the easiest thing I've ever done in my entire life.' Costumes included a brick, a butterfly and a lobster.
Ryan Melton, who grew up in San Francisco and now lives in Emeryville, was impressed by the turnout of the Trans March, her first.
'I'm absolutely blown away,' she said. 'The amount of people has completely stunned me.'
Matthew Ploscik of Oakland, attending his second Trans March, teared up as he described the tolerance of San Francisco, where 'people come from around the world, just to be able to be themselves.'
'There's a marching band, like, all playing for us,' he said. 'It's an all-queer marching band. You don't understand how big of a deal it is. Just to be.'
James, who declined to give their last name, said: 'In the trans community, there's a saying: Mourn the dead, and fight like hell for the living. Fight like hell for the living means we keep living, we keep showing up every day in our lives with the people we love.'
As the marchers passed by on Dolores Street, Ben Peterson pulled up a chair and nursed a glass of white wine, inviting his neighbors to join him. Peterson said he didn't realize it was the Trans March at first because the emphasis seemed primarily political.
Jessica Bryan, a 44-year-old trans woman from Oakland, described the gathering as 'queer joy.'
'It's a bunch of people who the government is trying to make illegal coming together and telling the government to go f— themselves,' she said. 'I love coming here every year because it's so many trans and queer people in one place.'
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