Tens of thousands of demonstrators rush in Washington DC On Saturday, the No Kings Rally, a nationwide peaceful protest against the president, was held on Pennsylvania Avenue, the National Mall, and the vast plaza between the Capitol and the White House. donald trump’s Authoritarian takeover of the United States. Currently, more than 2,500 rallies are planned across the country.
Stay up to date LGBTQ+ News and Politics. Sign up for The Advocate’s email newsletter.
Under a calm, sunny October sky, speakers ranging from senators to scientists to artists addressed large audiences behind bulletproof glass. It’s a somber sign of the times, following heightened security at the venue following the recent assassination of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk. political Events all over the country.
Related: Former Pentagon official warns Trump’s anti-trans policies threaten democracy before ‘No Kings’ rally
The rally began at noon and was scheduled to last until 2 p.m. with some participants. 100,000 participantsfeatured a speech by Sen. Bernie Sanders. vermont stateSenator Chris Murphy connecticutscience educator Bill Nye, and LGBTQ+ including leader human rights campaign Chief of Staff Jay Brown and former Assistant Secretary of Defense for Readiness Sean Skelly.
“This is my country too.”
“My name is Jay Brown. I’m the chief of staff for the Human Rights Campaign,” Brown told the audience. “And I’m proud transgender I’m an American who came here to say this is my country too. ”
Brown’s twin sister watched from the audience as she talked about her upbringing.
“When we were kids, she fit the mold of what other people imagined us to be. I broke that mold,” he said. “But my parents loved us both equally. We didn’t even know the word transgender, but they still gave me the love and support I needed to grow up.”
Related: ‘No Kings’ protests: What you need to know about the June 14 rally against Trump
“That’s what freedom looks like: the freedom to live and exist and raise your family the way you want to,” said Brown, now a father.
He warned of a “dark vision of America” under the Trump administration, in which “families are being told how to raise their children,” “doctors are being forced to ignore their oaths,” and “the government is hurting its people by tearing families apart, cutting funding for HIV treatment, banning books, and firing teachers who use students’ nicknames.”
Mr. Brown concluded with a crowd-rousing shout: “America does not have a king and never will have a king!”
“No one keeps his oath”
Brown was followed by Skelly, a former Navy commander and one of the first openly transgender officials to hold a Senate-confirmed Pentagon position.
“My name is Sean Skelly,” she said. “I’m a military veteran, a former Pentagon appointee, and I’m proud to serve on the board of the Human Rights Campaign. And whether this administration likes it or not, I’m an unapologetically proud trans woman who loves my country and will fight for it to the fullest.”
She held up a copy of the Constitution and reminded the audience that all military personnel take an oath “not to a political party, not to a president, and certainly not to a king.”
Related: There’s no king: What you need to know about October protests against Trump
“I am proud to have served alongside hundreds of transgender service members who have carried the weight of freedom even as our government debates the right to life,” Skelly said. “They deserve better.”
Mr. Skelly is LGBTQ+ Rights reflect broader democratic decline. In an interview last week defender“Transgender people are the canary in the coal mine, but the air is getting thinner for everyone,” she said. Her words on stage reflected that warning. “When we say we don’t have a king, that means no one is above their oath to the Constitution. There’s no one in charge. And no one can turn our democracy into a personal throne.”
“There’s no throne! There’s no crown! There’s no king!”
Murphy called Trump “the most corrupt president in the history of the United States,” warning that “he is carrying out a detailed, step-by-step plan to destroy everything that protects our democracy: free speech, fair elections, an independent press, and the right to peacefully protest.” “But the truth is, he hasn’t won yet. The people are still in control of this country,” he added.
Sanders also addressed the audience and called for continued resistance to authoritarianism and corporate power.
Nye, known to millions as “The Scientist,” likened President Trump to King George III, the British monarch who lost America’s colonies. Nye accused the administration of rejecting “basic scientific facts” and suppressing research that “damages our health, well-being, and global competitiveness.” He concluded, “No throne! No crown! No king!”
Despite heightened security and a somber backdrop of recent violence, the No Kings rally remained peaceful. “There is no king!” chants ran through the crowd as rainbow flags and American flags waved side by side.
Brown and Skelly’s speeches placed transgender equality within the larger struggle for democratic integrity. “LGBTQ+ people live in every zip code and come from all backgrounds,” Brown said. “We were born here, we immigrated here. We come from red families and blue families. And we came here to say this is our America too.”
Source: Advocate.com – www.advocate.com
