Protesters Rallied Against Anti-Trans Violence and Legislation

Hundreds gathered at the Country Club Plaza on March 1, 2025, as part of the Statewide Protest for Pride. The Kansas City rally, hosted by TransAct Kansas City, was joined by 13 cities across Missouri.

Since January, lawmakers in Missouri and several other states have introduced bills that undermine same-sex marriage, while four more states are calling on the Supreme Court to overturn its 2015 landmark ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges, which granted same-sex couples nationwide the right to marry.

In Missouri and Kansas, lawmakers have already severely limited health care for transgender people. In early February 2025, Missouri lawmakers listened to seven bills that sought to make restrictions on transgender youth and athletes in Missouri permanent.

In February, Homeland Security lifted its ban on agents conducting secret surveillance based solely on a person or group's LGBTQ+ statu

Speakers at the Kansas City protest included Korea Kelly, Regional Director of the Trans Women of Color Collective; Nyla Foster, Executive Director of the Trans Women of Color Collective; Wick Thomas, Missouri representative from District 19; members of the Kansas City House of Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence; Justice Horn, political activist and social justice advocate; and Seania Crowley, an organizer with KC Women's Action Collective and TransAct.

If you're interested, the Peaceful Plaza Protest will be between 4-6 p.m. on March 8 at Mill Creek Park to take a stand for LGBTQ+ rights, women's rights, abortion access, immigration justice, and more.