A rally organized by local LGBTQ advocacy groups outside Luther Jackson Middle School in Merrifield last night (Thursday) served as both a celebration of the upcoming Transgender Day of Visibility and a call for solidarity.
During the half-hour rally, that solidarity manifested in dozens of passing vehicles honking in apparent support of the crowd, which had gathered ahead of a Fairfax County School Board meeting to support the trans community.
At one point, a driver who blasted their car’s horn while passing on Gallows Road rolled down the window to lean out and shout clarification.
“I’m supporting you all,” the driver said.
It was an important clarification at a time when conservative leaders, from Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin to President Donald Trump’s administration, have put trans rights in the crosshairs.
“Right now, there’s a need for visibility,” said FCPS Pride co-chair Chris McCormick. “There’s a coming together as a community.”
McCormick says Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) has been tremendously supportive of its LGBTQ students and staff up to the limits imposed by the law. That support has led to the U.S. Department of Education — for however long it remains — launching an investigation into FCPS for its transgender-inclusive policies.
Even “in the face of hate and opposition,” McCormick says FCPS leaders have remained supportive of the LGBTQ community. At its meeting after the rally, the school board read a proclamation recognizing Monday, March 31 as Transgender Day of Visibility.
“There’s a tremendous amount of fear and anxiety,” said McCormick, “but I know we’re ready to meet this moment. We’re ready to resist and fight.”
Between rounds of “Pink Pony Club” by Chappell Roan playing on repeat, speakers at the event shared their stories and invoked Marsha P. Johnson, a transgender woman and gay rights activist known for her role in the Stonewall uprising.
“I’m proud to work toward a future where everyone belongs,” said Rev. Emma Chattin, senior pastor at the Fairfax-based Metropolitan Community Church of Northern Virginia. “I want to be with those who know joy, who know how to dance. I’m proud to be trans.”
Though primarily led by FCPS Pride, yesterday’s rally was coordinated with the student-led Pride Liberation Project, which plans to organize dozens of protests across Virginia to urge school boards to reject anti-LGBTQ policies pushed by the Trump administration.
Those directives have included an executive order telling federal agencies to withhold funding from schools and athletic organizations that let trans female athletes compete in women’s sports. The Virginia High School League, which governs most high school athletics and competitions, adopted a policy in February barring trans girls from girls’ sports, though FCPS said it was awaiting more guidance before determining a path forward.
According to a press release from the Pride Liberation Project, more than three dozen students rallied at the Prince William and Roanoke County school board meetings last week, and future rallies are expected in York, Loudoun and Rockingham.
