On Monday, hundreds of supporters of transgender individuals rallied at Oklahoma’s Capitol building to protest a series of bills that aim to restrict access to gender-affirming medical care for trans minors and young adults in the state. The protest, which took place outside of the House chamber on the fourth floor of the Capitol in Oklahoma City, was peaceful, according to local reports. Demonstrators chanted “Trans lives matter” and “We are Oklahoma” as they held signs reading messages such as “We are not a threat, so stop making us a target.”
Despite the peaceful nature of the protest, some right-wing media personalities have made false and misleading claims about the demonstration, including comparisons to the attack on the U.S. Capitol in 2021. However, local news outlets and the Oklahoma House Republican Caucus have refuted these characterizations, stating that there were no reports of unlawful behavior or incidents during the protest.
The bills being protested aim to restrict access to gender-affirming medical care, including complete bans on transition-related care for minors and restrictions on public funds for providers of such care. During his State of the State address, Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt, a Republican, stated his intention to sign a bill that would ban transition-related surgery for minors. The protest organizers, including Ramona Diaz, expressed their concern about the proposed legislation, as it would impact their ability to make decisions about their own bodies and access life-saving medical care.
