Workers Assembly Against Racism: in solidarity with trans lives

By a guest author posted on October 3, 2022

This statement was delivered by WAAR during Oct. 1 strategy meeting.

Workers Assembly Against Racism (WAAR) affirms its solidarity with the Oct. 1st National Day of Action to End Violence and Genocide on Transgender People.

Rain and wind in New York City has driven WAAR’s Workers Assembly Against Union Busting indoors today on Oct. 1. It has also caused the rescheduling of the Trans Day of Action originally planned at Union Square.

That has not, however, stopped the 10 other Trans Days from happening nationwide, in big cities like Washington, Seattle, Los Angeles and San Francisco, as well as smaller cities like Lancaster, Pennsylvania; Springfield, Illinois; and La Mesa, California.

WAAR celebrates this necessary day of fight-back to defend trans lives. Fighting for workers’ rights means fighting for trans rights. Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz made that clear when he decided to exclude unionizing stores from gender affirming health care, as well as from abortion travel coverage and other benefits.

For all of Starbucks corporate’s pro-LGBTQ+ posturing, Schultz’s anti-trans practices have put him in the same company as Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, whose proposed vile legislation attempts to criminalize gender-affirming medical care, make it unavailable through the Affordable Care plans, prevent colleges from offering it and deny visas to doctors who provide it.

In 2022, dozens of trans people have been killed, the majority of them people of color. As of mid-March, more than 150 anti-trans bills had been introduced in state legislatures seeking to limit trans people’s access to health care, sports, bathrooms and education. Oklahoma, for example, has passed three anti-trans laws this year.

The extreme weather caused by the pollution of capitalism is ruining lives all over the globe and in Florida as we speak. The only good thing to come out of today’s rain is that more WAAR members will be free to attend next week’s rescheduled New York Trans Day of Action, which will take place Oct. 8 at 1 p.m. EDT at Union Square!