Sebastian Leon Martinez and Christopher Martinez, members of the Youth Democratic Socialists of America, ride the subway to E 35th St. and 1st Ave., near NYU Langone, ahead of the Trans-Youth Rally. During the ride, they discuss potential safety concerns, emphasizing the NYPD’s history of escalating peaceful protests.
At 6:30 PM, the crowd swells as students from NYU, Hunter, and CUNY, along with NYU staff, Langone doctors, community members, and Trans-rights activists, gather to exercise their First Amendment rights, chanting, “Freedom now!”
One of many signs challenging NYU’s immediate compliance with the Trump administration’s executive orders, which withhold federal funding from hospitals and medical providers that continue offering gender-affirming care to Trans individuals under 19.
Rally attendees climb the park’s trees to get a better view of the speakers.
A brigade of sign-holders from the Internationalist Group at Hunter College stations itself at the center of the growing crowd. In front of them, older activists lead chants of “Stand up, fight back!”
Cynthia Nixon, Sex and the City actress and Trans advocate, speaks truth to power, declaring, “I am the proud mother of a Trans man.” She joins dozens of speakers, ranging in age from 15 to 60, who share their stories and deliver empowering words that ignite a roar of support from the crowd of about 2,000.
As the march begins, people move down 35th St. and 1st Ave. toward NYU Langone. Speakers reluctantly guide the massive crowd out of the parking lot, mindful of keeping ambulance routes clear.
Members of the New York Metropolitan YDSA stay behind to clean up the space. Once the park is cleared, they gather to take a celebratory photo, marking the success of a rally they organized in just four days.
Works Cited:
Boecker, B. (2025, February 6). “mother of a proud trans man”: Cynthia Nixon condemns Trump’s trans repeals. Women’s Agenda. https://womensagenda.com.au/latest/mother-of-a-proud-trans-man-cynthia-nixon-condemns-trumps-trans-repeals/
Gioia, A. H. (2025, February 5). Over 1,000 call on NYU Langone to continue providing gender-affirming care for children. Washington Square News. https://nyunews.com/news/2025/02/05/nyu-langone-trans-rights-protest/
