Supporters came out in the hundreds to march in support

Supporters march in Friday's Transgender Day of Visibility at Washington Square Park. (Peter Senzamici/Patch)

WEST VILLAGE, NY — Supporters came out in the hundreds to march in support of Transgender rights and trans youth, walking from Union Square to Washington Square Park.

The march was held on Friday — a day known as Transgender Day of Visibility.

Supporters in the march who spoke with Patch said that the action was meant to highlight trans joy and solidarity with trans youth in the face of many high-profile attacks by local and state governments across the county, as well as some federal elected officials.

Marchers held signs saying "We have always been here," "Protect Trans Youth," and "Mind Your Business" as they rallied in Washington Square Park during the sunset of a brisk, early spring evening.

"I'm here to support the trans youth community," said Alone, 40, a musician and producer from Israel who has lived in the city since he was 20.

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"I was here for the first march and it was very small," Alone said, "it's very nice to see that people came out. It's beautiful."

Nearby stood Bo and his friend, Yitzi, both 18-years-old. Bo said he grew up Orthodox Jewish in Brooklyn and for him, coming to the march today was a big deal.

"I came out here tonight to be surrounded by trans joy," he said.

Bo, who, like any 18-year-old, is still deciding between a career as a tattoo artist or in social work, said that "community is cure" when he realized he was trans while growing up in an Orthodox Jewish community where he never met any openly queer people.

"You are the only person that feels that feels that way, you are the only one who has ever existed like that," he said of what it felt like growing up, "and then you go out and actually meet people."

"I'm a cis guy," Yitzi said," but trans people have always been the most accepting group for me when I was on my religious journey," which he said left him identifying as an atheist Jew.

He said it was important for him to support a community that's been so supportive of him "not just when its focusing on damage done to us but about celebrating joy and living our true identity."

Gabriel, 27, is from Argentina but lives in Western Massachusetts. They were there with a group of Spanish-speaking trans and queer supporters.

"I'm feeling great," they said, "super excited to come here with all my friends. Like, we get to resist and celebrate at the same time."

One friend, Prince, 25, who has Venezuelan and Peruvian roots, agreed but added "it's kind of weird because all the protest was in English, nobody said anything in Spanish."

Sky Flores, 26, who grew up in The Bronx but lives in Brooklyn, said she wanted to come with all of her trans brothers and sisters to make sure everyone stayed safe.

"This is all about brotherhood, sisterhood and sibling hood," she said. "It's about celebrating one another but also having people outside the community hear us as well to make sure we still have our rights."

Cuban native Librada, 28, is an archivist and came to represent the young trans rights movement back home.

"I wanted to represent the trans movements in Cuba and represent trans people in Latin America," she said, "who have been barred from accessing care or from, like, manifesting in public."

"Here in the U.S.," she said, "We forget that these things are happening in Latin America."

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