In honor of International Transgender Day of Visibility, LGBTQ+ activists and elected officials from Chicago, Cook County and the Illinois General Assembly held a news conference at City Hall Monday to call for stronger protections and solidarity for the trans community in the face of repeated attac ks from the Trump administration.“Trans people are oftentimes labeled as an invisible population. There is nothing invisible about us,” Chanynn Lynne Parker, the executive director of Brave Space Alliance, told reporters assembled on the third floor of City Hall Monday morning.The conference came a day after hundreds gathered in Federal Plaza Sunday afternoon to rally behind the community.“It's more important than ever that we come together as a united community,” said Asher McMaher, executive director of Trans Up Front of IL. “Trans Up Front has formed a coalition that yesterday completed a protest with over 50 organizations standing with us, because we have to come together to fight. Our strength lies within our solidarity.”Monday’s event highlighted the political efforts to threaten trans rights, including executive orders signed by President Donald Trump that bar trans girls from playing on school athletic teams and restrict veterans from accessing gender-affirming care. Related Trans people facing gender-affirming care bans flee to Illinois, shield law states Trump signs executive order aimed at curtailing gender transitions for everyone under 19 Iggy Ladden, executive director of Chicago Therapy Collective, speaks about the ongoing threat to livelihood of LGBTQ+ citizens during a Transgender Day of Visibility press conference.Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times “Trans people are not one political party's punching bag and another political party's weakness,” said Iggy Ladden, executive director of Chicago Therapy Collective. “Right now, the current administration is putting out executive orders and public narratives that are trying to twist the truth."Several speakers also emphasized that Chicago and Illinois offer sanctuary to trans individuals, and highlighted policies like housing services, job opportunities, HIV testing and prevention, gender-affirming health care and the LGBTQ+ history curriculum taught in schools.“I am proud to live in the land of Lincoln, where LGBTQ rights are not just respected, they are enshrined,” said Precious Brady-Davis, a commissioner for the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago. She is the first Black trans woman ever elected to public office in Cook County. Caprice Carthans, board chair for Life Is Work, speaks about the current challenges facing the trans community. Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times But Monday’s speakers also said there’s more to be done to protect trans rights.“I’m here today frustrated with my fellow Democrats,” said State Rep. Kelly Cassidy, a Democrat who represents the 14th district and sought to bolster protections for trans people after Trump's election in November. “I challenge my colleagues to join me in unwavering support, unblinking support for the most vulnerable in our community." Caprice Carthans, the board chair of Life Is Work, said when one group's rights are threatened, it's only a matter of time before others are at risk. "As a 68-year-old Black trans woman, I have been around long enough to know where the skeletons are," Carthans said. "Now is not the time to panic. Now is not the time to hide and be terrified. Now is the time to stick together and collaborate." City, county, and state leaders, along with organizational representatives take a quick selfie prior to a Transgender Day of Visibility a press conference, Monday, March 31, 2025. City, county, and state leaders, along with organizational representatives, gathered to share stories and express support for trans rights on the Transgender Day of Visibility. Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times ...read more read less