A chorus of chants calling for solidarity and accountability rang out in the streets of the Illinois Medical District on a particularly brisk afternoon this past Thursday.
Around 100 transgender students and their allies came together at the University of Illinois-Chicago (UIC)’s West Campus Feb. 6 to protest President Donald Trump’s recent executive order banning gender-affirming care for people under the age of 19.
The event was organized by the Chicago chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) as a response to UI Health’s planned adherence to Trump’s order.
“This has all come together in the last like four or five days,” Sean Duffy, the co-chair of the Chicago DSA, said. “We first saw reports from stewards at Service Employees International Union (SEIU) 73 Local on Saturday or Sunday, then we got confirmation from students, and we had a meeting on Sunday night. We announced (the rally) by Tuesday morning.”
The protest comes on the heels of a lawsuit filed this Wednesday by an Illinois mother whose transgender son was on track to receive a gender-affirming chest operation only for the appointment to be cancelled by UI Health a day after Trump signed the order.
The suit, alongside six others all made in conjunction with organizations like PFLAG and the ACLU, claims that federal funds cannot be blocked after having already been allocated to certain medical procedures.
Byron Sigcho-Lopez, Alderman of Chicago’s 25th ward and a member of the DSA, appeared at the rally to demonstrate his support for the cause.
“It is great to be here with so much solidarity with our trans community, with all communities across the country that are suffering from the dictator in chief and in times of tyranny,” Sigcho-Lopez said. “It is a shame that we see institutions enact this before it has any legal recourse … We are no longer accepting platitudes. We should no longer accept crimes. Our rights are nonnegotiable.”
While Trump has issued over 40 executive orders since taking office a little over two weeks ago, many of them have yet to take effect as they have to pass through Congress before they’re officially implemented.
UIC junior Jane Webb, draped in a trans flag, spoke out against the hospital’s adherence to Trump’s ban despite any real requirement to do so.
“Every child deserves access to the lifesaving health care that they need. They deserve peace and they deserve happiness,” Webb said. “I’m here with all of you today to demand that UI Health not keep these kids in the dark, that UI helps not submit to the fascist ideology of a billionaire who would have every trans child grow up in a world where they can never be authentic to who they are.”
Webb’s speech was also the first time she’d ever announced herself as a trans woman publicly.
“It was scary. But this is such an incredibly supportive community,” Webb said. “I turned out to the protest on January 25 and got organized with the DSA. As soon as I joined the group, the first thing that was being talked about was this, and just seeing everyone organizing so rapidly and passionately meant a lot to me.”
A slew of other transgender UIC students gave speeches at the event. Xzavier Jones, a member of the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) at UIC, attempted to appeal to a bipartisan perspective on trans rights.
“Trans healthcare should not be a political issue. This is an issue of human rights,” Jones said.
UI Health issued a statement to ABC 7 in which they said they would continue to provide trans students with care “in accordance with the laws,” but has yet to offer a concrete statement of reassurance to their clients and affiliated providers.
Sophia Nova, a member of the DSA and lead speaker at the event, stated that they would continue protesting until UI makes it clear that they would hold strong against any ruling Trump would have on trans healthcare.
When asked, DePaul University officials said that for the time being, no action had been taken in accordance with the order.
“DePaul is not a direct health care provider, but we continue to evaluate what impact the executive order may have,” Mary Hansen, a senior manager of strategic communications, said. “Our commitment to the health and well-being of all our students remains unchanged.”
Cameron Velazquez, a trans man and junior at DePaul, is counting on DePaul’s health insurance to maintain his hormone replacement therapy as he recently lost his own.
“It sucks how they even have the option now to not support us trans individuals,” Velazquez said. “I’m for sure scared about the next four years. I’ve had to tell myself to act manlier, change my name and try to hide who I am in fear of hate. I would love to get closer to the trans community, that’s not something I currently have going on.”
To finish his speech, Sigcho-Lopez called upon his fellow elected officials to stand up and support the cause.
“I expect the Governor of Illinois to call (UI) healthcare and tell them today that he also stands up with the trans community,” Sigcho-Lopez said. “The trans community is our community, and a wound on anybody is a wound on all of us.”
Related Stories:
- ‘I can’t be telling other people’s stories anymore’: Trans filmmaker and DePaul alumna Vera Drew on “The People’s Joker”
- Trump reshapes policy with flurry of executive orders
- Trump signs order to ban trans athletes in women’s sports
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