A horde of transgender activists shut down traffic Friday at the intersection of Hollywood and Highland Blvd. — the central hub for the iconic “Hollywood Walk of Fame.”
The protest happened during the so-called “Trans Day of Visibility,” with activists waving signs and blocking cars on the famous boulevard from proceeding.
“Transphobia has got to go!” activists yelled as they waved the transgender flag amid honking cars. Watch events unfold below:
Los Angeles Daily News noted the “march in Hollywood coincided with Trans Day of Visibility events, from the Inland Empire to the coastal L.A. area and in Orange County.”
The march began on the corner of Highland and Hollywood in Los Angeles. Securing the crowd were community members who wore all-black garb, blocking their faces. Their goal was to secure the protesters, keeping an eye out for violent opposition.
While there were some police present, the community-led security helped protect the identity of protesters, especially youth, by blocking onlookers with cameras with signage and umbrellas.
Marliese Hegele, who found the event through TikTok, came out to “show support for my community.”
“I mean, there’s hundreds of anti-trans legislation bills being proposed, even in states that you would think would be safe,” Hegele said. “And then there’s actually ones that are horrific that are going through and being passed. And it’s very, it’s very terrifying.”
Trans extremism became a major topic of conversation last week after a transgender man (a woman presenting herself as a man) killed six people, including three children, at a Christian school in Nashville, Tennessee. President Joe Biden decried the backlash and accused critics of perpetuating transphobia.
“Transgender Day of Visibility celebrates the joy, strength, and absolute courage of some of the bravest people I know — people who have too often had to put their jobs, relationships, and lives on the line just to be their true selves,” the president said in a proclamation.
“A wave of discriminatory State laws is targeting transgender youth, terrifying families and hurting kids who are not hurting anyone. An epidemic of violence against transgender women and girls, in particular women and girls of color, has taken lives far too soon,” the president added.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre virtually echoed those comments on Friday.
“They want us to fight for their freedoms. And so, it is shameful, it is disturbing, and our hearts go out to the those — the trans community as they are under attack right now, but this is a president who has said many times before he has their backs. He will continue to have their backs and he will continue to fight for them, and his record shows that,” Jean-Pierre said.
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