Hundreds turn out for transgender solidarity march

Hoards of people marched through the streets of Glasgow on Saturday for Leelah’s Law Solidarity Demonstration.

The demo was in memory of Leelah Alcorn, a teen from Ohio who committed suicide in December after she was greeted with hostility when she came out as trans.

A cold and thick air covered Glasgow’s Merchant City as protesters from far and wide gathered in support of transgender rights.

Students from Glasgow, Edinburgh and even as far as Canada and the USA gathered in the concrete rectangle opposite the city’s Merchant Square.

A twitter hashtag #GlasgowLeelahDemo was set up for attendants to raise awareness of the event as it happened.

Signs on the day were plentiful with placard making sessions held the night before.

Others exclaimed “we are valid”, as well as “her name was leelah” and “give them voice!”

The march started at around an hour and a half, with speeches from society members, volunteers and organisers.

Hot food was on offer set up by volunteers who simply asked for donations which would go to relevant LGBTQ charities.

The event rounded off with speeches from various speakers.

Ali, protestor and biological science student from Edinburgh University

Others gave a playful tug on words

And some were simply impossible to ignore (credit: Leigh Graven)

The event was inspired by Leelah’s story after it gained mass media attention, but organisers of the event have stressed it is in support of all trans teens and not only stories we know of like Leelah’s.

There was an added emphasis on the LGBTQ group as a whole and how this event and events like it should be used to support them all, not only those who identify as trans.

Leelah posted her final words on tumblr in a heart-wrenching note which can still be found on some sites, but was removed by tumblr executives after her parents requested it be taken down.

Support grew for the cause as Leelah’s story gained media attention and vigils were held all over the US and in London’s Trafalguar Square.

Leelah’s Law, if passed, would ban “conversion therapy” – a treatment that says homosexuality and transgenderism can actually be “cured.”

Members from the Strathclyde University LGBT society

Gavin, Cheyenne and Quinn, Glasgow uni student protestors

Leigh, protestor and music student from Ayr University

Speeches during the march from organiser Nate, as well as Tanya a member of the Anarchist Federation, a transgender woman and volunteers who simply wished to share why they were there.

Anarchist Federation member Tanya Florence called for a collective movement in which she says we should work together to determine the causes of oppression before taking action at their roots and destroying the government’s article 28.

“Our goal has to be for liberation from gender depression and nothing less. We need to make the space to find freedom in our lives”

We should and need to ‘Go Beyond the Law’ say the  members of the Anarchist Federation

Following the event new groups have been set up as a space for connection and support such as Glasgow Trans Collective in the hope that those in the same area dealing with the same things can help one another.

The organisers of the demonstration hope to plan further similar events in the city, but no definite plans have yet been made.