The Gender Liberation Movement Is Fighting for All of Our Rights

Right now, queer and trans rights are in a state of crisis. The onslaught of persecutory legislation commenced in 2021 and, emboldened by the current administration, has swelled into an avalanche: across the United States, 821 anti-trans bills have been brought in front of state legislatures in the past three months alone. With the country’s democratic institutions reeling and its population engaged in an embittered cultural feud, a clear need for meaningful and organized activism was evident well before the election results rolled in on November 5th. The Gender Liberation Movement (GLM) seeks to fill this vacuum of advocacy.

Spearheaded by two seasoned activists, trailblazing lawyer Raquel Willis and advocacy media strategist Eliel Cruz, GLM formed in 2023 through the combined efforts of a ragtag team of veteran changemakers. Building on the momentum of the 2020 and 2021 iterations of their Brooklyn Liberation March—each pulling tens of thousands of attendees—the duo tapped their networks of celebrities, creators, and community leaders to pull off another march in Washington this past September. Conceptualized as a coalescence of values including bodily autonomy, collectivism, and self-determination, the march brought protestors to a ball on the literal front steps of the Heritage Foundation—the anti-LGBTQ think tank responsible for Project 2025, which has equipped the second Trump administration with a playbook to tear down longstanding civil protections. Bookending the march were talks from a roster of heavyweights in advocacy and activism. Elliott Page, Julio Torres, Miss Major, and Peppermint hit the microphone—soothing, entertaining, building community, firing up the crowd. Walking alongside the protestors and mingling amidst the fully DJed soundtrack of the afternoon, I met concerned citizens from every corner of the country. The occasion was simultaneously an act of resistance and a gathering of family—a party for our lives and a funeral for our democracy.

A growing itinerary of protests and media appearances quickly followed for the organization. In December, the team organized a bathroom sit-in on Capitol Hill in protest of a ban on trans bodies in restrooms. Willis, alongside Chelsea Manning, pulled national attention once more when she (and a collection of other activists) was arrested meters from House Speaker Mike Johnson’s office. February brought a rally in New York’s Union Square in support of trans youth, generating coverage from media institutions including Vogue and the New York Times. Weeks ago, Willis was honored by Time as one of its Women of the Year. Today, GLM converges upon Washington once again, this time in partnership with the ACLU and World Pride, to celebrate the latest installment of ACLU’s Freedom To Be campaign. Featuring two hundred and fifty-eight individual artworks by hundreds of trans folks, advocates will commemorate the installation of a monument—inspired by the AIDS Memorial Quilt and situated on the National Mall—with live music, speeches, and other festivities.

Driving the cultural conversation and amassing such significant awareness as a young organization requires skill, craft, and compassion. The activists in this feature have all been critical to GLM’s mission and activities. Spanning industries and generations, they have come together to elevate the movement into a position of significance. As the organization primes itself for upcoming actions, we asked for their perspectives on the state of queer and trans rights, the current political climate, and our collective future.

“What concerns me most isn’t any single conservative action, but rather the ways in which the far right is united in dismantling our democratic institutions. This unified, well-funded, and strategic assault aims to roll back hard-won civil rights in this country, pushing us toward a regressive, not progressive, agenda that threatens our most basic human rights. These actions will impact all of us but especially our most marginalized communities.

This challenge isn’t new, though. Historically, we know this dynamic to be true within the feminist movement itself, where a lack of true intersectionality has left many feeling disillusioned with feminist activism. When movements fail to fully include and advocate for everyone necessary to the fight, particularly those most marginalized, they miss the chance to create real, collective liberation. Personally, I’m acutely aware of what’s at stake if we fail to engage deeply. Intersectionality isn’t just an idea—it’s an action. If we don’t learn to share power and think beyond our own experiences, we risk leaving behind the very communities we aim to uplift and losing the chance to build a more just world for everyone.” —Aisha Becker-Burrowes

“I envision [the conversation surrounding gender and bodily autonomy] being in Mandarin, Russian, German, Spanish, and so on. I would love to see young people all around the world grab this movement by the horns and run with it. We need the next generation to understand what is at risk here. We need seemingly disparate communities to find common ground. The systems currently in place are not working, we can see that. GLM paints a picture of inclusivity, safety, access, collectivism, and unity. Again, in this future, we are all better off. America is overdue for deep systemic change and reparations.

As much as I loathe social media, with all of its propaganda, ads, shadow-banning, etc., I still value the ease with which I can use socials to follow, chat, support, plug in, and stay connected to GLM. I think using socials to connect to more people all around the world will be an integral next step for GLM.” —Ross Collab

“One misconception I hear about the gender liberation movement is that it exclusively impacts the queer community. It can appear that way with such large support from the LGBTQIA+ community, but gender liberation includes everyone and benefits us all, too. Bodily autonomy is a human right. Even those who are predominantly featured as beneficiaries in the current gender structures are being harmed in the long run. Yes, I mean men, and yes, they deserve freedom from gender, too.

‘A system cannot fail those it was never built to protect.’ —Vann Newkirk. I don’t believe our savior to be a white man nor the government system that grants them power. At its simplest, gender liberation begins with you and me. It’s a highly personal and spiritual transformation we all must embody. We must protect our human rights from the current onslaught of legislative attacks on females, trans people, and immigrants. Many reforms are needed, but it can be so overwhelming and distracting to advocate for a system that does not recognize our humanity. This is why the Gender Liberation Movement requires coordination and many intersections of people to be most effective. It’s all hands on deck right now, and we invite you to join us.” —Cole Witter

“A Data for Progress report from last month found that the overwhelming majority of voters (eighty percent) agree that ‘both Democrats and Republicans should spend less time talking about transgender issues and more time talking about voters’ priority issues like the economy and inflation.’ I would challenge this question and stress that the rampant attacks on bodily autonomy are part of a larger gamification on behalf of politicians; a slew of anti-reproductive rights and anti-trans rights hinge on active disinformation because it serves as a tool to benefit their own political victories.

The idea that the movement for reproductive justice and for trans liberation are separate continues to be a misconception I am wary of. In fact, so many social movements are in the face of the same threats: challenges to people’s agencies, the priority of capital over people, and the disposability of human beings.” —Denny

“The overstepping of DOGE and Musk is concerning. It’s become too easy for them to access the private information of US citizens. I know that between DOGE access to taxes and the State Department’s list of passport applicants, it’s become easier to ‘weed out’ trans people, immigrants, and other marginalized communities. They are moving rapidly, and I’m sometimes concerned we are unable to respond as quickly as they are able to wield a blow.

We have a playbook for what we are currently witnessing. Which means we also have the tools to effectively combat the current destabilization of our government and country. It’s like preventive care—fight the disease before it starts or spreads. The rest of the world is on our side.” —Devin-Norelle

“Something I am constantly reminding those around me who feel activated at this moment is that there are already people doing the work. Organizations aren’t the enemy, they’re the answer. Join their listserv! Volunteer to set up chairs at their meetings! Find what you have to offer, then plug in. The only way through is together. It’s these relationships and connections that will keep us safe, grounded in our values, and move us forward. The revolution isn’t built overnight or by one person; it takes all of us in purposeful solidarity working strategically towards our common goals.

Generally, I am deeply disappointed by and disillusioned by the Democratic Party. My place in the movement is not in electoral politics, but respect to those who try their best to push our electeds from within the system. I am much more invested in working directly with the community and radically defying power, frequently working at the intersection of arts and direct action organizing.” —Ariel Friedlander

“I think what we’re seeing, both before and after Trump 2.0, is a groundswell of appetite for political engagement from our youth. Our role as seasoned advocates is to show youth best practices for organizing, create opportunities for political trainings, and reaffirm that there are limitless lessons to be learned from ongoing struggles including the civil rights movement, the disability justice movement, the reproductive justice movement, the LGBTQIA+ liberation movement, the AIDS movement, and the fight for Palestinian freedom. There is no realizing gender liberation without a movement that is both intersectional and intergenerational, and I have a feeling our youth have that same vision.

We are in the fight of our lives to save our healthcare. Whether it is the freeze on global aid programs, attacks on gender affirming healthcare for youth, sweeping cuts to Medicaid and Medicare funding, the cancelation of hundreds of federal grants that cover HIV research, we have our work cut out as healthcare advocates as we fight against an administration that doesn’t value science and disregards human life. None of this advocacy gets done alone, and that’s what the Gender Liberation Movement is about: coalescing our struggles and building justice-derived coalitions where we can make damn sure that no one and no community gets left behind.” —Jason Rosenberg