Thousands Rallied to Protect the Safety and Joy of Trans Youth at This Weekend’s Brooklyn Liberation March

Last summer, a sea of nationwide protests was punctuated by a march of more than 15,000 people dressed in white at New York’s Brooklyn Museum, calling for justice for Dominique “Rem’mie” Fells, Riah Milton, Tony McDade, and countless other victims of the epidemic of violence against the Black trans community.

After a full year of planning and agitating by organizers including Raquel Willis, Eliel Cruz, Ianne Fields Stewart, Kalaya’an Mendoza, and Peyton Dix, this Sunday picked up where last summer’s rally left off, and the event that ensued—known as the Brooklyn Liberation rally and march—was as diverse, thoughtfully executed, and powerful as its predecessor.

The 2021 Brooklyn Liberation gathering was billed as an “emergency action in response to the more than 100 bills that have been filed in over 34 states” targeting trans youth, but it was also designed to address topics including Black trans liberation, justice for Layleen Polanco (the 27-year-old trans woman of color who died in solitary confinement at Rikers in 2019), and the ongoing fight for Palestinian human rights. Attendees chanted for all these issues and more as they marched from the Brooklyn Museum to Fort Greene Park, painting an indelible portrait of a community focused on showing up to root out all forms of oppression—wherever they may be hiding.