Trans Day of Visibility: Activists Chase Strangio and Raquel Willis Demand Action on Anti-Trans Laws

On Trans Day of Visibility, "Democracy Now!" looks at the wave of anti-trans laws being enacted across the U.S., with dozens more anti-trans bills making their way through state legislatures. The Arkansas Senate has approved one of the most harmful bans on access to healthcare for transgender youth by prohibiting the use of gender-affirming care, including hormones and puberty blockers. Arkansas, Tennessee and Mississippi have enacted new laws aimed at banning trans athletes from joining sports teams, and in South Dakota, two executive orders bar trans women and girls from playing school sports.

“We are truly witnessing an escalation of attacks on trans people unlike anything I’ve ever seen in government,” says Chase Strangio, deputy director for transgender justice with the ACLU’s LGBT & HIV Project. "Democracy Now!" also speaks with journalist and activist Raquel Willis, who says higher visibility for trans people is not enough. “We can’t just rest on some of the social strides that we’ve made,” says Willis. “We also need to be using that action to change our material realities and protect our rights.”