Nora Savage, 2, plays outside of the Wisconsin State Capitol building during a transgender rights rally on Wednesday.
Ari, 12, reaches for the megaphone during a transgender rights rally on Wednesday.
A group of advocates for transgender youth rallied outside the Capitol building Wednesday to express opposition to a pair of bills the state Assembly approved hours later. The bills ban transgender athletes from competing with the gender they identify with in K-12 and college sports. Both bills passed on party-line votes with all Republicans voting in support. They now head to the state Senate, and if approved there, will likely receive a veto from Democratic Gov. Tony Evers.
A transgender person, who has not yet chosen their name, speaks to attendees of a transgender rights rally on the steps of the Wisconsin State Capitol building in Madison on Wednesday afternoon.
Adrian, 11, said, “I have a friend who likes girls, but her mom is a Christian and talks about how being gay is a sin and the LGBTQ+ community is a sin, and she says ‘God didn’t make us that way.’ But if God didn’t make us that way, why are we that way? And we were made that way for a reason.”
Attendees of a transgender rights rally applaud the words of a speaker outside of the Capitol building in Madison on Wednesday.
Andi Janeway wipes tears from their eyes after speaking at a rally for transgender rights outside of the Capitol building in Madison on Wednesday.
Attendees of a transgender rights rally listen to a speaker outside of the Capitol building.
(Left to right) Avery, 13, and Ari, 12, both of Minnesota, talk with another transgender rights rally attendee outside of the Capitol.
Aren Yehud Newman takes a photo of their chalk drawing at the trans rights rally in Madison on Wednesday.
Sunshine Raynebow speaks to attendees of the transgender rights rally outside of the Capitol building on Wednesday.
Aren Yehud Newman, said, “We are always becoming. Transition is a process of becoming and running towards the self and that is the essence of what we’re doing. All trans people who decide to run towards themselves at all costs, to decide to love themselves even when the world tells them that they shouldn’t. That is the blessing of what trans people have to teach us all.”
State Rep. Christine Sinicki, D-Milwaukee, records a video at the transgender rights rally at the Capitol building on Wednesday.
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