Hundreds Rally for Transgender Day of Visibility at Capitol

Joselyn Romero, Executive Director at Arches Healing and Growth, spoke at a rally at the Utah State Capitol for Transgender Day of Visibility. Check out this excerpt from The Daily Utah Chronicle, and click here for the full story.

Visibility Is Power

The event’s first speaker Joselyn Romero, executive director of Arches Healing and Growth, began their speech by acknowledging “trans people, allies, friends. All people gathered today to celebrate visibility.”

“We are filled with joy. And on top of that, when we talk about our experiences, I look at this day as a day to celebrate us. The people who are living our truth. Showing up for ourselves and each other and making our presence known in this world. We are not going anywhere,” Romero said.

They received a round of applause and cheers from the crowd before continuing.

“We stand here today not just as a community, but as a vibrant, beautiful, diverse, collective of people who are proud to exist, to thrive and to be visible,” Romero said. “Visibility is power. It’s strength.”

They also acknowledged the anger many feel in response to recent legislative efforts targeting transgender people. For example, the legislature passed HB269 this year, limiting on-campus housing options for transgender students. Still, Romero emphasized that legislation can’t erase the existence of transgender people. 

“Our gender or non-gender is ours to define. It does not belong to the government, to anyone else, and they shouldn’t decide what gender should be,” they said. “But here’s the thing, even though this is … painful and frustrating, we won’t be silenced. We won’t be erased, and we won’t stop fighting.”

Romero ended their speech by reiterating the importance of fighting for trans rights. 

“Today is a celebration of pride, of joy and of unity. It’s a reminder that we are here to stay.” Romero said. “We are here to stay, and we will continue to fight for a world where all trans people can live freely, safely and without fear of discrimination or violence.”