Despite the looming threat of rain, a large crowd gathered in Newtown’s Pride Square for the Trans Day of Resistance rally and march. The event was organised by Pride in Protest, the National Union of Students, and the USyd Queer Action Collective (QuAC). QuAC Convenor Jamie Bridge chaired the rally, reading Queering the Map entries from Gaza and other areas in Palestine in between the speakers.
The rally began with a Welcome to Country from Gadigal Elder Uncle Graham Simms. He began by explaining the customary practice of a Welcome to Country. He then spoke about the failure of the Voice referendum, saying that “for us to all walk side by side the truth of this country has to be told first.”
Non-binary lesbian Lebanese drag queen Barbi Ghanoush spoke about the dangers of pinkwashing. “We need to be able to recognize when governments, communities, organisations, businesses are profiting or benefiting from us to give themselves a mask of progressivism and cover up the darkest of crimes, which more often than not involve harm against our own communities,” said Ghanoush.
“We will not allow governments, companies and organisations to use us to hide their inhumanity. We will not accept these scraps. We will not accept this pinkwashing. It is all of our duty to stand for all other oppressed people.”
Erin Moroney, a transfeminine non-binary NSW Greens member and co-convenor of the Greens’ Sex, Sexuality and Gender Identity Working Group, spoke about the community struggle to end the violence and live in peace. Moroney said that “the attacks on us have increased in their volume and their ferocity because they know, deep down, that they are losing. They know that they are on the wrong side of history. That our community will win, and we will win because we are fighting for our very lives and we will not give up.”
“We will protect each other as we fight and we will not relent until we have peace and freedom for transgender people, for the queer community, for Palestine and First Nations.”
Liz Duck-Chong, trans non-binary union member, spoke of the “rich history in this country and in this city of solidarity between unions and the LGBTQ plus movement.”
Duck-Chong said that “Trans rights means workplace rights. Trans rights means our right to live, to survive and to thrive. But trans rights also means our rights when accessing health services, public spaces, schools, universities, government support, sports clubs, cultural experiences and of course employment.”
“To not just participate but to lead, to be spectacular and to change the world.”
Wiradjuri activist and member of the Blak Caucus Ethan Lyons spoke about the history of queer and First Nations activism and resistance. “Queer, trans and First Nations people alike have never won anything through working in favour of the occupational state. It has only been through mass mobilisation like today, building our own communities up and supporting each other that we have made change,” said Lyons.
“As settlers, you all profit from the stolen and violent history of our land. Therefore, indigenous liberation in this country is not an option for you, but a requirement. Because once we’re all free, once we are free, you are all free. Once the occupation collapses, then we are all free.”
Paddy Gibson, member of Trade Unionists for Palestine, spoke as “the proud dad of a trans teenager,” explaining that it was “wonderful to see… their comrades and friends at school on the front foot fighting to have a place to be who they are at school and out there in the community.” Gibson also spoke about the recent protest against the ZIM shipping company at Port Botany and the mistreatment of a trans protester by the police.
“We will not be intimidated. We will unite. We will fight back,” said Gibson.
Wei, a member of the Sex Worker Action Collective, said that “Trans Day of Resistance just gets me so choked up every year because it’s another year I get up, it’s another year I speak, it’s another year I see everyone out here raging and protesting and it’s another instance in which nothing happens and nothing changes.”
“It is another instance in which a government that we elect that’s meant to serve us, a progressive labour government supposedly, is meant to come out with a set of pieces of legislation that are meant to back the interests of sex workers, back the interests of trans and queer people. And yet they so vehemently fail and fall short.”
Protestors then took to King Street, marching to Victoria Park. The protestors were followed by large numbers of police, including police on horseback. The march ended with the group chanting “We’ll be back. We’ll be back. We’ll be back.”
