March for Trans People of Color

by Samantha Aguilar

Demonstrators and advocates in front of the Douglas County Courthouse.
Photo: Samantha Aguilar

Young Progressives of Nebraska (YPN) held a march for transgender people of color Saturday, June 27 in front of the Douglas County Courthouse in downtown Omaha. YPN is made up of high school and college students and aims to create a community of progressives in Nebraska working towards peace. 

The march had around 100 people in attendance, all wearing face coverings, a request made by the organizers.

Sharing their experiences and words of solidarity, attendees were interrupted occasionally by the encouraging sound of car horns honking and cheers from passersby. One speaker described a recent racist encounter at a store while wearing a Black Lives Matter mask. They said they were more disappointed by the people standing around who allowed the racist encounter to happen by not intervening than the person that initially said the racist remark.

The speaker called on listeners to step up as allies to the Black and LGBTQ communities by continuing conversations with older family members and friends. They said age does not excuse racist, transphobic or homophobic attitudes.

Abby Schreiber, one of the founders of Young Progressives of Nebraska, said the group began in February with 16 to 18-year-old members and has since grown. YPN now has more than 200 followers on Instagram, where the march was promoted, as well as on Facebook. 

The YPN website states their mission is to establish a community of progressive people in Nebraska and liberate those oppressed by the authoritarian and imperialistic forces of American capitalism.

“Across the world, oppressed people are finally rebelling against the systems that have oppressed them for so long,” YPN’s website reads.