'Vibrant and together': Trans community rallies in Highland Square against restrictive bill

Despite the rain and the cold, a crowd of more than 50 people gathered Wednesday on the front lawn of the Highland Square Branch of the Akron-Summit County Public Library to rally for the rights of transgender people.

"Trans health care is under attack in Ohio," said Candle, a 17-year-old trans person speaking under an alias out of fear of discrimination.

The protest was planned in anticipation of the Ohio Senate's override of Gov. Mike DeWine's veto of House Bill 68, a law preventing doctors from prescribing hormones, puberty blockers or gender reassignment surgery before patients turn 18. The Senate officially voted to override DeWine's veto on Wednesday.

The bill is now due to become law in 90 days, although opponents have signaled they could take the matter to court.

Meanwhile, DeWine is working on his own policies that would make gender-affirming care more difficult for both minors and adults to obtain.

More: Ohio Senate overrides DeWine veto to restrict health care for transgender kids

When the rally began in the early evening hours, only a handful of people were present, but their numbers quickly swelled.

Using a small amplifier and a microphone, people chanted, sang and spoke about their experiences as members of the trans community. The crowd elicited honks of support from passing traffic.

Anntoinette Baker likened the restrictions passed by the Republican-controlled legislature to something that would have come from "communist Russia."

Katherine Jurak, 37, said she was out to show support for her community — the trans community, the younger members of which she is concerned for given the bill's restrictions. She worries they could be forced to de-transition, won't have access to care or be forced to leave their loved ones behind in their flight from the state. Jurak worries, too, for their mental health.

"I've definitely had suicidal ideation over my dysphoria and through my journey, and so I really worry for their lives as well," she said.

Jurak encouraged the younger members of the community who might be feeling disheartened by the day's events, calling it a "temporary setback."

"We're here for you," she said. "We got through — the queer community — got through AIDS together. We have gotten through so many things together."

Ares Paige said that as a black transgender man, he understands the importance of autonomy.

"This is a right that African-American people have been fighting for since our emancipation in this country," Paige said. "And it's crucial now, more than ever, that we recognize and uphold the rights of every individual, irrespective of their gender identity. It is time for people to recognize that the trans community is like everyone else, and we deserve the right to live our lives authentically without fear of discrimination, prejudice, nor interference in our personal affairs."

He said that the responsibility to ensure everyone is treated with dignity and respect is a collective one.

Toward the end of the rally, after some had left, the crowd spilled into the intersection of Highland Avenue and West Market Street, chanting and briefly diverting traffic. When an Akron Police Department cruiser pulled up in front of the Highland Square Theater with its lights on, the crowd returned to the sidewalk.

Eventually, without incident, the crowd thinned out, leaving only a handful on the sidewalk in front of the library.

Direct effects

"We're out here to stand together as a community, speak out against these unreasonable rules and show that we are vibrant and together — and we aren't going to just lay down, de-transition or shut up and stay out of the public eye," Candle said.

Under the bill, Ohioans already receiving hormones or puberty blockers can continue, as long as doctors determine stopping the prescription would cause harm. Critics, however, say that's not enough to maintain current treatment because health care providers could be wary of legal consequences.

Candle is already undergoing gender affirming care, and therefore still allowed to continue — provided that their doctors determine that stopping treatment would cause harm.

"I don't know what my doctor's legal team is thinking right now," Candle said. "Under some interpretations of the bill, my [testosterone] dose would not be able to be adjusted; the specific prescription is grandfathered in."

Candle has friends in the community who will be blocked from receiving the care they need — care that is a recognized medical practice encompassing different treatments, including medication, therapy and surgery, that help support someone's gender identity.

"I'm disappointed that so many people won't get to have the same experience as me," Candle said. "This is lifesaving care. I held on to the day that I would turn 16 and be able to start testosterone, and for it to be pushed back to 18 on absolutely no medical basis is going to make so many people's lives needlessly more difficult."

Still, Candle maintains a flame of optimism that the trans community will be able to weather the actions of politicians — that Ohioans will support them even though the legislature doesn't.

"I feel like any average person you could get from the street, maybe they might not understand my identity, but I don't think they hate me," Candle said. "I think that in Ohio, there are a lot of good people who maybe they don't understand; maybe they don't understand why this issue is important, but they're willing to learn. And I do have hope for the future."

Contact reporter Derek Kreider at DKreider@Gannett.com or 330-541-9413

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Akron's trans community rallies following Ohio Senate's push for HB 68