At Marin County rally, transgender youth call for acceptance
SAN RAFAEL -- In Marin County Friday, some of the Transgender Day of Visibility festivities were led by youth in the community wanting to be seen and heard for who they are.
A youth-led march through the streets of San Rafael organized by a 12- and a 15-year-old.
"I think that a lot of times it's hard to be seen when your trans or queer because a lot of time people really don't want to see you," said co-organizer named Hope.
Hope also at an open-mic session at the Spahr Center in Corte Madera. The Spahr Center supports the LGBT community and counters misconceptions about the trans community such as those that were circulated after the Nashville school shooting.
"Trans people are not inherently violent," said Nikki Millett with the Spahr Center. "There's nothing inherently bad or scary about trans people. We just want to live like everybody else. Just want to have a space in the world where we are not attacked or hated for who we are."
Friday night, there was much love in the room as speakers opened their hearts to a packed crowd. Many shared their stories of heartache and triumph.
"Even if all the trans people on earth right now died, more will be born tomorrow so it's not something that can be stopped 'cause it's not an illness, it's not a disease. It's simply a variation on the human experience and there's nothing bad about that," Millett said.
Millet says the event gave her hope for the future seeing the number of youth in the crowd along with elderly members of the trans community.
Suzanna Humphrey was inspired.
"Honestly it brings me so much happiness. I remember a friend of mine's sister got to graduate high school as her true self and I was so moved that I didn't get to do that. I don't want to see my graduation photos but college graduation, I'm coming for ya," Humphrey said.
According to the Human Rights Campaign as of this month, there are more than 400 anti-LGBT bills across the county. The bills range from limiting gender-affirming care to creating bathroom bans.