Apr 4

Apr 4 Visibility

Demonstrations, Donald J. Trump, Performance, Protest, Public Declarations

This past Tuesday marked Transgender Visibility Day. Is it mere coincidence that on the same day, the United States Supreme Court issued its decision in Chiles v, Salazar, 607 U.S. ___ (2026), which held that the State of Colorado could not prevent a therapist from practicing conversion therapy when treating LGBQT patients? In an eight to one decision, the Court held that the Colorado statute violated the First Amendment, which stands as,

a bulwark against any effort to prescribe an orthodoxy of views, reflecting a belief that each American enjoys an inalienable right to speak his mind and a faith in the free marketplace of ideas as the best means for finding truth. Laws like Colorado’s, which suppress speech based on viewpoint, represent an egregious assault on both commitments.

While the public has grown to accept Gay people, the transgender community remains an anomaly to many, which is why that community established Visibility Day and has been so willing to challenge oppressive and discriminatory laws in the courts.

To celebrate Transgender Visibility Day, Chicago’s transgender community chose today to celebrate itself with a demonstration in Federal Plaza. Not surprisingly, some of the signage called out the U.S. Supreme Court for its decision this past week.

The 200 people who gathered in the plaza for speeches included members of the community, their parents, and other supporters. Following the speeches, the group assembled behind banners for a march that would take them north on Dearborn to Wacker Drive. They then marched toward Michigan Avenue, passing within eyesight of Trump Tower, until they reached Michigan Avenue, where they turned south. At that point, I headed home.

[Click on an Image to Enlarge It. The Images Are Not Necessarily in Exact Chronological Order]