Transgender residents of Bloomington decry Indiana lawmakers' 'slate of hate'
Around a hundred people gathered on the Monroe County Courthouse lawn on Sunday to protest current anti-transgender legislation at the Indiana Statehouse, with around a dozen transgender and allied voices taking center stage to share their personal experiences and perspectives on how to better support one another across Indiana.
The rally, entitled "End Hate, Elevate, and Celebrate Trans Joy," was prompted by Indiana lawmakers' "slate of hate," which includes two bills targeting medical care and the K-12 school experience for transgender people.
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Last week, Indiana's lawmakers passed a bill outlawing gender-affirming care for youth under 18, which now rests on Gov. Eric Holcomb's desk for potential signing into state law. Another bill, informally known as Indiana's version of "don't say gay" legislation, has also passed out of committee. House Bill 1608 bans discussing human sexuality at certain grade levels and prohibits school employees from using names or pronouns that don't match a student's sex assigned at birth without parental consent.
In addition to some tent activities and on-site counseling, the Bloomington rally featured an open mic forum where a dozen transgender people and allies spoke. Here are just a few of their voices.
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"Trans people have existed for as long as modern gender stereotypes have been around, and we haven't hurt anyone. We're being targeted unjustly and unfairly. It's just kind of out of nowhere. It just doesn't make any sense... I want to stay (in Indiana) because I want to make change. Bloomington is better than this, and I have faith in Bloomington's government as a small pocket in what is otherwise a majorly conservative state. You know, I expect better. I have faith in my community, to make that change." — Nico Beck Fulford, 14-year-old resident of Bloomington
"I'll tell you right now that this was the best thing I ever did for myself. I waited 50 years and I was on the edge of suicide. My spouse is still with me too ... and she saw the life come back into somebody. And I think the first week I was on hormones, I was like, 'Oh my Lord, this is the best thing ever.' And ever since then, I've been out and loud and proud." — Jamie Poole, rally speaker
"It's really disingenuous for Indiana legislators to be taking that direction from outside sources and make those decisions in the face of parental rights, in the face of medically founded information (that is) informed by therapists... For them to step in and say 'Hey, we need to protect the children' or 'What about that child?' You're not doing it because you're worried about Indiana. You're doing it because you're getting this money from somewhere else. You're getting handwritten legislation, boilerplate legislation from these groups, and you're trying to implement them across the country. I think that's a real big issue." — Elbe Lieb, longtime Bloomington resident
"[We organized this event] so that people are aware and know what's going on, so they can do something about it in whatever capacity they can, whether that's calling their legislators, showing up to the Statehouse or providing resources for the community." — Phoenix Rayng, event co-organizer
This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Bloomington transgender visibility rally responds to Indiana legislation
