On the 24th of April, transgender folks and their supporters gathered in drenching rain in Orlando, defying a threat of armed attack by an out of state pastor’s son as well as the rain.A grand total of nine Fascists showed up to harass them, thinking at first the rally had been “rained out” but people fighting for their lives cannot be rained out. The Fascist counterprotest by comparison was mostly rained out, those who did show were outnumbered at least five to one.
Only a few of the Fascists were easily seen at any one time. One was a driver, and one went undercover in a trans flag into the crowd. Two were obvious fascist videographers and one escorted a videographer.
Speakers said it was understood some would have to leave Florida for their own safety but others were hunkering down as for a hurricane and staying put. One said bluntly that Florida is a Stand Your Ground state and that’s exactly what many LGBTQ people are doing! Another speaker reminded everyone that DeSantis is legalizing permitless concealed carry of firearms at the same time he is attempting trans genocide. This combination is just begging for a tough fight that trans folks and the rest of the LGBTQ community backing them up may very well win. In the end, the Christian Dominionists such as Pence and DeSantis can be completely defeated in this without anything happening to them save that those in positions of power lose those positions. For those facing genocide this is life and death. In fact, one of the fascists bluntly told one of the trans protesters he wanted to send them to gas chambers. No doubt that’s exactly what DeSantis would do if he could get away with it.
Already bills are passing to prosecute trans folks for using bathrooms matching their true gender, force businesses to provide gender-segregated bathrooms, strip trans kids from their parents and presumably place them with “Christians” in foster care (which will be the death of many or most), and ban gender affirming care for under 18 this year and (as in other states) all ages later. Subpeonas are being issued to health care providers demanding records of gender-affirming care, supposedly for the debate about these laws. This is at the same time as the anti-drag bill that has already caused Treasure Coast to cancel their Pride parade for fear of prosecution-even though the law would not yet be in effect! After that would come assaults on non-monagamous (cruising) Gay men, and finally on everyone else. That is unless people warrior up and resist genocide the only way resistance has ever worked: by ANY means necessary.
