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Salt Lake City: ‘We Exist, We Resist’ rally defends transgender rights

By Bryn Dayton

Salt Lake City, UT – More than 70 people rallied in downtown Salt Lake City, October 27, to protest Trump’s proposed policies that would erase protections for transgender and non-binary individuals. Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) at the University of Utah organized the event, in conjunction with other protests by SDS chapters around the country.

There were two speakers from SDS, and they reminded the crowd that trans women, especially trans women of color, are targets of transphobic violence and that 22 trans women have been killed so far this year. With Trump’s blatant attack on the trans community this week, as well as his previous attacks on trans individuals serving in the military, we can only expect these violent attacks to increase. An SDS member also called out the University of Utah and all universities to pledge to protect its trans students even if Title IV no longer does.

In addition to SDS speakers, there was a speaker from Utah Against Police Brutality and the Freedom Road Socialist Organization.

It is important to remember that police brutality targets trans individuals. The fight for equal rights and protections in this country for trans and non-binary people is the same fight for all oppressed people. We must continue to fight Trump’s policies and to fight with our trans siblings for their right to health care, housing, and equal protection under the law.

#SaltLakeCityUT #WomensMovement #LGBTQ #US #PeoplesStruggles #transgender #DonaldTrump #TransRights #WeExistWeResist