Grassroots groups for queer and trans rights have united to call for protests across the country, with events in ten different cities for Trans Day of Visibility.
There will be protests in Armidale, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Perth, and Sydney on Sunday 30 March, followed by evening protests in Alice Springs, Canberra and Melbourne on Monday 31 March, the International Transgender Day of Visibility.
Evan van Zijl from Sydney based organisation Pride in Protest said the alignment of annual event and the beginning of the federal election campaign was an opportunity to stand up to politicians who target the transgender community.
“We are tired of being treated like trash by politicians, whether it’s federal Labor dropping the ball on the census and anti-discrimination reform, or the Queensland Liberals’ Trump-like attacks on gender affirming care. Trans people, and those who support us, are going to be standing up for ourselves in this election season,” van Zijl said.
The protests follow a national day of action by Trans Justice Project on February 8, which saw thousands march around the country in opposition to the Queensland LNP government’s pause on puberty blockers.
Organisers see this weekend’s protests as the next step in defending trans rights against attacks from both the federal and state governments.
“Refugees are ‘tested’ for their sexuality. Migrant trans women are harassed at the border on the assumption of being sex workers and thrown into men’s detention. School teachers get the sack for being gay or trans. Children are denied essential gender-affirming care. The silence on these issues by the major parties is deafening, and we need to make them act,” said Amy Sargeant (she/her), national convenor of the NTEU’s Queer Unionists movement, from Brisbane.
“This year we want to raise the platform of those of us who aren’t given visibility – especially women and femmes, people in custody or detention, children, refugees, and Aboriginal, Palestinian and disabled community members,” said Ember Lenarduzzi from Trans Liberation on Kombumerri land in the Gold Coast. “It’s important to me that we uplift and centre those of us who are too often erased from conversations around trans liberation.”
First Nations speakers at the protests include Aunty Dawn Daylight in Magandjin/Brisbane and Nayuka Gorrie in Naarm/Melbourne.
“In Melbourne, we are marching alongside First Nations groups, pro-Palestine groups, unions from across the board as well as many other grassroots networks to change the narrative on trans liberation,” said Natalie Feliks.
“We are sick of our movement being stolen by white, corporate political leaders seeking to further a personal agenda. We have seen the symbol of queer rights being used to justify a genocide in the Middle East, the bombing of children, the incarceration of refugees, and the destruction of our union movement.”
“The trans community does not consent to this disgusting misuse of our struggle. We never have consented, and we never will. Our movement stands against genocide, against police brutality, and demands freedom from corporate exploitation. We are proud to march alongside First Nations fighters every year, and proud to have them at the forefront of our march this year.”
List of Events
ADELAIDE (SA): Monday 31 March – 9.30 am to 9 pm at @flindersuniqueercollective
ALICE SPRINGS (NT): Monday 31 March – 5.30 pm, Snow Kenna Park.
ARMIDALE (NSW): Sunday 30 March – 4 pm, cnr Dumaresq Street/Dangar Street. @studentactivistcollective
BRISBANE (QLD): Sunday, 30 March – 2 pm, King George Square. @magandjinpeoplespride
CANBERRA (ACT): Monday, 31 March – 5.30 pm, Garema Place.
GOLD COAST (QLD): Sunday, 30 March – 9 am, Hope Island Central.
HOBART (TAS): Monday, 31 March – 12.30 pm, Parliament Lawns.
MELBOURNE (VIC): Monday, 31 March – 5.30 pm, State Library. @tdoa.2025
PERTH (WA): Sunday 30 March – 3 pm, Pride Piazza. @queerliberationboorloo
SYDNEY (NSW): Sunday 30 March – 2 pm at Pride Sq, Newtown. @pride.in.protest
