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People across the world have been holding peaceful protests in solidarity with Black Lives Matter after the horrific death of George Floyd. Two large protests have already taken place in central London, as well as many other smaller-scale local demonstrations.
Now London Trans+ Pride has announced it will lead a peaceful protest for Black Trans Live Matter on Saturday. The march will be a demonstration against transphobic legislation proposed by the government, a commemoration of Black Trans lives that have been lost and a celebration of the Black Trans community.
Saturday’s march, which is supported by London Black Lives Matter, will begin at Wellington Arch at 2pm and end with speeches at Downing Street at 3pm. The organisers have asked attendees to bring flowers, wear masks and keep to social distancing as much as possible.
The demonstration follows news that the UK government is planning to scrap proposed measures to enable trans people to change their birth gender without a medical diagnosis. The plans could be debated by MPs as soon as next month and have been described by human rights charity Amnesty International as ‘a chilling message that the UK is a hostile place for Trans people’.
Announcing the march on Instagram, London Trans+ Pride said: ‘Our government has brutally attacked trans rights, but this cannot detract from the black lives matter movement. All black lives matter, black trans lives need to be valued. Fighting for black lives MUST INCLUDE BLACK TRANS LIVES.’
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London Trans+ Pride made history last year when it hosted the first ever Trans+ Pride March in London in September. The grassroots event invited trans, non-binary and gender-nonconforming communities to come together for a march at Wellington Arch and was attended by more than 1,500 people.
Another Trans+ Pride event is planned for September 12 in Soho Square. You can donate to help keep the celebration independent and DIY on this GoFundMe page.
Find out how LGBTQ+ Londoners are keeping the community together in lockdown.
An amazing mural to Black Lives Matter has appeared in Greenwich.