PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The 10th annual Philly Trans March was held Saturday afternoon in North Philadelphia, to demand more protection under the law for transgender people and an end to the murders of Black transgender women.
The names of Black trans women who were murdered because of their identity were read aloud at the event. Marchers chanted "No justice, no peace, no transphobic police."
Activist Kendall Stephens said the community is under siege by transphobes.
"And we want social policy to be implemented that will protect us and hate crime legislation," she demanded.
Stephens said she has seen that hatred firsthand.
"I was attacked," she recalled. "People barged into my home in August, and I barely got away with my life."
Tayana Eason said she was there to remember those lost.
"A lot of us get hurt every day. A lot of us are close friends and family, and I feel like the violence has to stop."
Brother Saul Under Vrist of the Philadelphia Sisters House of Otherly Love said there's a lot of healing that needs to be done.
"Trans people are one of the most oppressed groups in Philly, especially Black and brown trans women deal with a lot of challenges," Vrist said.
"We've had another sister killed recently, so we're out here remembering her. We're remembering the other people we lost, and we're out here fighting for our rights."
Bri Golphin, one of the organizers, said they almost didn't hold this year's milestone march because of COVID-19, but the murders didn't stop. So what do they want?
"One, stop killing Black trans women. Two, Black trans people need better protection. And three, we need more access to resources," they said.
Spencer Kociba said he holds the city accountable for not doing enough to stop the killings.
"I think it's an absolute travesty that Mayor Kenney and his Council haven't done enough to support the trans community in Philadelphia in light of this violence," he said.
"Trans rights are human rights," he added. "We're here to exist just like everybody else, we're here to live our lives, we are here to make a living."