The fifth-annual Philly Trans* March will step off again later this month and, while organizers say the event will serve as a rallying cry for more equal treatment of trans individuals, it will also celebrate the progress that has been made for trans visibility.
“The trans community did not have that much to celebrate five years ago but over the last two years, things have really steered in a different direction,” said Deja Lynn Alvarez, who is coordinating the Oct. 10 event with Naiymah Sanchez and Samantha Jo Dato. “We don’t want to make it just an event where we’re shouting and saying we demand this and that — it’s still about making ourselves heard — but we want to also recognize the progress and people who have helped that progress we’ve made in the city of Philadelphia.”
That message will be carried to a wider audience this year, with an expanded route that will take marchers further into the Gayborhood — from Love Park down Broad Street, over Pine Street to 13th Street, and up Walnut Street back to the park.
Alvarez expects increased attendance, about 500 people.
“I think we’re going to have a bigger turnout this year because the trans community has gained a lot more visibility this year,” she said.
She noted that organizers expect to see a lot of allies among the faces in the crowd.
“We want to put a big focus on allies and encouraging people to become allies with the trans community,” Alvarez said. “I think a lot of people think they’re allies but they need to really understand the definition of ‘trans ally’ better. And on the part of the trans community, we need to understand that sometimes people don’t know how best to be allies until we educate them.”
For more information, visit www.facebook.com/phillytransmarch.