Thousands will march for trans visibility in D.C. Saturday

Thousands of transgender and nonbinary people — and their allies — will gather in Washington, D.C., Saturday for the National Trans Visibility March.

The march, which has been held annually since 2019, focuses on the need for trans visibility in politics as well as society at large. Trans people need to support politicians who support them, contact elected officials, and get involved in grassroots campaigns, the march website notes.

This year’s march will also highlight the need for intersectionality of HIV prevention and education with broader social justice concerns. Participants will emphasize the need for comprehensive sex education that includes HIV prevention as well as culturally competent, trans-inclusive health care services.

The first National Trans Visibility March was held in 2019 in Washington. The march was held virtually in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic but picked back up in 2021 in Orlando. In 2022, it was held in West Hollywood, and in 2023, in New York City.

This year, participants will start arriving at noon at the Human Rights Campaign headquarters, 1640 Rhode Island Ave. NW. There will be an opening ceremony at 1 p.m., and the march starts at 1:30 p.m. It will come back to the HRC headquarters at the end.

Speakers will include Hope Giselle, executive director, president, and CEO of the march; Kelley Robinson, president of HRC; Elijah Nicholas, founder and chairman of the Global Trans Equity Project; Ollie Henry, a storyteller and activist with the National Black Justice Coalition and American Association of People with Disabilities; Iya Dammons, founding executive director of DC and MD Safe Haven; Louis Shackelford, director of external relations for the HIV Vaccine Trials Network; and Lee Blinder, founding executive director of Trans Maryland.

There will be a post-march party from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Moxy Hotel, 1011 K St. NW.

Scroll down for photos from last year's march.