April 10, 2024 • 28 mins
After feeling exhausted by advocacy work, Daniel and Libby wanted to make a powerful statement rooted in the celebration of trans youth. On May 22, 2023, they invited 50 youth from across the country to their own special prom in front of the US Capitol, a beautiful and bold display of trans joy.
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Speaker 1 (00:08):
School of Humans.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
This is Queer Chronicles. This is my personal entry Queer.
Speaker 3 (00:20):
This is Queer Chronicles me to fight for my rights
at the Capitol because you are a black friends team
who those in Texas.
Speaker 4 (00:33):
Let's go.
Speaker 1 (00:35):
That's Safara, an eighteen year old from Texas who you
met a few episodes ago. Outside of her experiences as
a ballroom performer, she's also a fierce advocate for LGBTQ
plus rights. This clip is from a TikTok she posted
back in March twenty twenty three.
Speaker 4 (00:56):
So it's seven point forty and I just got to
the capital.
Speaker 5 (01:00):
The public hearing or testimony is supposed to start at eight,
but let's tell to get to push back a little
because it usually does.
Speaker 1 (01:07):
Sfar was getting ready to do something extremely brave. She
was at the Texas State Capital in her home city
of Austin to protest legislation that would prevent doctors from
providing gender firm and care to trans youth.
Speaker 5 (01:23):
So it's currently ten thirty three and we were so
sweet third on the agenda, but it looks like they're
going to push back h six because there's a lot
of testimonies because it's a shitty bill. So it looks
like I'm going to be here for a couple more hours,
so we'll see.
Speaker 1 (01:47):
But a few hours turned into an entire day of waiting.
Demonstrators gathered in the Capitol rotunda as the House convened,
waving LGBTQ plus flags and chanting and opposition of the bill.
Safar joined them as she waited and for her chance
to speak.
Speaker 4 (02:08):
Okay, it's currently ten forty eight pm. I've been here
for about fourteen hours. I still have got to testify.
A single trans team hasn't gotten to testify. But I'm
just gonna cry. But you know, it's okay, and let's
see how it goes.
Speaker 1 (02:28):
And then it finally happened, more than fourteen hours after
she arrived, tired, worn down, but still resolute so far,
spoke her truth in front of the very politicians who
were trying to strip her and her community's rights away and.
Speaker 6 (02:48):
HB sixteen eighty six can representing myself. I am here
as a girl who has been accepted into Columbia University
in the city of New York, for my prolific work
for the trans community on a national scale. But foremost,
I'm here the Black transgender team who's right far I
got to be stripped away. History backs to the validity
(03:09):
of transcendrism. Transgender people have existed in pre colonial indigenous
cultures around the world for millennia, so to think this
is something new it is simply false. I'm not confused,
nor am I a product of gay and trans and doctrination.
No one influenced me to be trans. They only supported
what I always knew was there.
Speaker 1 (03:33):
What Safar did that night in Texas shouldn't have been necessary.
But it's becoming all too common for young trans folks
to demand that lawmakers respect their decisions about their bodies,
their lives, and their identities. And Sofaram isn't alone. They
are even younger teenagers picking up that mantle too.
Speaker 2 (03:56):
The first time I testified, I was seven, and now
I'm thirteen. I have been advocating for myself and other
trans kids for more than half of my life.
Speaker 1 (04:07):
Like Libby, who also lives in Texas.
Speaker 2 (04:10):
I find advocacy empowering, but it's also honestly really hard.
I feel like no kid should ever have to do this.
I also know nothing will change if those of us
who do have safety in our lives stay silent, so
I made a decision to keep showing up as long
(04:32):
as I.
Speaker 1 (04:32):
Can, and Daniel from Arizona, So.
Speaker 4 (04:36):
When I got to sixth grade, me and my family.
Speaker 7 (04:40):
Took our advocacy to another level. We knew it was
so important for us we have to be visible as
a Latina immigrant family with a trans kid, so that
families like our own could see themselves included in the conversation.
It was especially important for us when we were talking
about the rights of transgender people. In eighth grade two
there was a lot of anti trans legislation or being
(05:04):
and like bills being for posed, and so we were
like constantly driving back and forth to our state capital
to testify, which was already a stressful Illinoian experience.
Speaker 1 (05:15):
You might remember that Libby began her advocacy journey when
she testified against a bathroom bill in Texas in twenty seventeen,
and Daniel was just nine years old when he started testifying.
Both Libby and Daniel have given so much of their
adolescence to advocacy, and they have only grown more determined
(05:35):
to stake their place in the world as they've matured.
In fact, they were two of the chief architects of
a historic event at the US Capitol last spring, and
they reminded the world that beyond anger and disappointment, there's
room for something else on the front lines. Celebration from
(05:57):
School of Humans, The Outspoken Podcast Network, and iHeart Podcasts.
This is Queer Chronic, a show where queer folks document
their personal lives and experiences in their own words, and
I'm your host, Raquel Willis. This season, a group of
(06:17):
teenagers are sharing their perspectives on growing up queer and
trans and gender non conforming while living in mostly red States.
In this episode, we're talking about activism and how our
teens are fighting for their rights. Libby and Daniel have
(06:42):
a lot in common. They're both Latine, they both began
advocating in elementary school, and they both understand that collaboration
and creativity are necessary for collective liberation.
Speaker 2 (06:57):
At first, my family was like, oh my gosh, well
this is something really scary, Like we weren't prepared for
it at all, and it was just like really hard
at first.
Speaker 7 (07:14):
But then.
Speaker 2 (07:16):
I made so many connections and I have created a
community by doing all this advocacy, and like now they're
like my chosen family, and that's what I think was
like a blessing in disguise.
Speaker 1 (07:36):
Throughout the years, Libby's family has been involved with groups
like the Human Rights Campaign and its Parents for Transgender
Equality National Council. This collective brings together parents across the
country who are committed to advocating for trans youth, and
it's where Libby's mom and Daniel's mom met in twenty seventeen.
(07:58):
The mother's hit it off, then Libby and Daniel hit
it off, and then their dads followed suit. And a
few years later, Libby and Daniel met for the first
time on a camping trip with their fathers and just
the side note, Their fathers and a few others starred
in The Dads, a recent documentary about their love for
(08:22):
and embrace of their trans kids. It's streaming on Netflix,
so check it out.
Speaker 7 (08:29):
That was my first time going camping ever and my
last time going camping ever.
Speaker 2 (08:34):
They fed us like subway.
Speaker 7 (08:36):
I feel like subway is good in certain situations, and
it's in those situations when you're camping, is when it's good.
Speaker 2 (08:43):
You caught a fish, though, didn't you.
Speaker 7 (08:46):
I don't think I caught a fish, but the fish
scare me, and that's that's like a reason I don't
eat fish either is because I feel like they look scary,
and so trying to catch one was scary.
Speaker 2 (08:59):
They kind of are I'm like the least out doorsy Texans.
Speaker 1 (09:04):
Their fishing experien answers aside, that camping trip really deepened
their friendship.
Speaker 2 (09:10):
Since then, we've been really really close.
Speaker 7 (09:14):
I feel like we've been around each other so many
times because of all the all the activism we have
to do, you know, that we've just kind of like
bonded with that.
Speaker 2 (09:27):
We're like really similar in some ways, but some ways
we're like complete opposites. Like, for example, our tastes and
music they're very different, and our outdoor zeness very different.
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (09:46):
They've grown so close that they see each other as family.
Speaker 8 (09:50):
Now me and Libby we're like cousins. Basically, we've already
decided that we're like cousins.
Speaker 2 (09:57):
That's really cool.
Speaker 9 (09:57):
Like we text each other, we tell each other all
the all the drama, you know, but really it's really
nice to know that you got like community, even if
it's not even in your hometown, but just community out
there in the world.
Speaker 2 (10:14):
It feels pretty cool having a friend like to Daniel
he's much older than me, so he can give me
a lot of advice, but like we can like talk
to each other about a lot of stuff and we
can like relate to each other.
Speaker 8 (10:32):
That's my dreama right there.
Speaker 1 (10:36):
As you might be able to tell, Libby and Daniel's
powerful bond is based in part on a pretty unique
extracurricular They both regularly protest and testify for their rights
at state capitals. It's a serious time commitment, and it
starts pretty early in the day and often pretty early
(10:57):
in the year.
Speaker 8 (10:59):
That usually starts around like January, and for me, that's
my second semester every year in school. And it's honestly
really taxing. It's really mostly taxing. It's like tiring, you know.
Speaker 2 (11:18):
I get up at home around like six am maybe,
and then I like spend quite a bit of time
figuring out what sort of outfit I want to wear,
and then we like start packing, like putting all the
stuff that we might need in the car, and then
(11:41):
we drive there, which is like seven hours, and it's
very intense. I go and I feel very like, I
feel very like courageous, but at the same time I
feel very fearful. And normally when I'm going I do
like little doodles expressing my emotions. It's always really scary
(12:06):
and really intimidating because I always feel like they're just
like looking at me and like deciding if they trust
us or not, or if they think that my existence
is worth.
Speaker 8 (12:15):
It is really frustrating and really upsetting if anything makes
me really disappointed. And at some point you got to
feel a little annoyed to be there because it feels
like you're gonna say your testimony who just people who
like don't really care that much, and so then you're
(12:36):
just really saying you're testimony to people that like don't
actually want to listen and don't want to listen to
what you have to say.
Speaker 1 (12:44):
After years of dedicating themselves to activism and developing a
friendship along the way, Libby and Daniel got a bit
exhausted with all of the anti LGBTQ legislation and rhetoric
out there. They became frustrated with the world they were
growing up in.
Speaker 2 (13:02):
It's so easy for legislators to paint a picture for
the general public there were something we aren't. We're just kids,
kids that don't want to keep showing up, and yet
we are continuing to show up to fight for our rights.
Speaker 7 (13:22):
Me and Libby were talking one day and we were like,
we were just talking about all the anti trans legislation
we're facing in like our perspective states, and so basically
we were like, we need a political action.
Speaker 1 (13:38):
A political action, a statement, something that felt like a
celebration of all of their work, and a message to
the world saying they wouldn't back down anytime soon. More
on that after the break.
Speaker 2 (14:01):
At first, we kind of just wanted to have like
a pro to but like centered in joy, and then
we started thinking about like joyful occasions.
Speaker 1 (14:12):
After feeling the effects of protesting and testifying taking their toll,
Libby and Daniel decided to make space for celebration. So
they started dreaming about an action that spoke to their
lives as teenagers, envisioning what it would be like to
have a day of pure happiness with other kids.
Speaker 8 (14:32):
Like them, and so that's where it kind of snowballs
into the idea.
Speaker 2 (14:38):
And then we were like, oh, problems are pretty joyful,
and then they're also a place it makes LGBTQ people
feel left out. So we wanted to do like our
own version of prom except where we are all accepted.
Speaker 8 (14:55):
I think we've more focused first in the beginning, like
what we wanted trans prompt to do, Like what we
wanted it to be for people, And I was like
dead say, I was like, we needed to be a
celebration of who we are.
Speaker 1 (15:11):
Daniel and Libby have officially redefined prom Yeah, there will
be dancing and music and fabulous outfits, but our duo
and their friends added in a few more crucial ingredients
community empowerment and solidarity. In recent years, queer and trans
(15:32):
teens across the country have been planning their own prominence,
particularly in states where their identities and gender expression aren't
as openly affirmed. It's something that every teenager deserves to
experience and participate in if they want to. So Libby
and Daniel got to work on perhaps the first national
(15:55):
iteration of this event.
Speaker 7 (15:58):
And so we went to our parents and our parents
were like, this is a great idea, and they brought
us to Chase and Chase was like, I'm not an
organ measure, but I do know some people, and that's
how we got the ball rolling.
Speaker 1 (16:12):
That Chase they're speaking about was Chase Strantio, a lawyer,
transactivist and one of my good friends, Chase, hit the
ground running, helping them bring their vision to reality. They
also had help from two other teens they met through
their activism, Grayson and Hobbes.
Speaker 10 (16:31):
Here's Chase. So transprom originated with a group of four
young people who with their parents reached out to me
and said, we're sick of doing the same thing every year.
We're sick of just spending our childhoods defending our existence
and urging our lawmakers not to attack us. That is
(16:53):
a sort of very demoralizing project, of course, and one
that they recognized that was not either personally or politically liberating.
And so they came and said, we want to do
something bigger. We want to do something as centers our
humanity and our joy, and so trans Pom was born
of that desire.
Speaker 1 (17:13):
Their vision wasn't necessarily the same as the problems you
might recognize from movies. Instead, their trans youth prom would
be in front of the US Capital in Washington, DC,
and they'd invite young people from all over the country
to dance and reclaim space right in front of the
legislators they've been fighting against for years.
Speaker 8 (17:33):
It sets an expectation for what the world will look
like or the world should look like, because unfortunately, right
now the world only looks like that in these kind
of spaces, you know, And so I really want these
trans youths to see that. I know that they're deserving
a feeling affirmed and supported.
Speaker 1 (17:54):
So with their mission in mind, they started prepping. Their
steering committee consisted of Daniel Libby, Rason Hobbs Chase, their parents,
and some volunteers. Of course, their first order of business
was ensuring there would be music and a stage.
Speaker 2 (18:13):
We really wanted like a DJ, and then we also
really wanted like a like a platform for like speaking,
and then we really wanted a photo booth.
Speaker 1 (18:25):
With the entertainment solidified, the Collective secured a permit for
the Capital Line on a date in late May, and
with that they sent out invites reading, you and a
guardian are invited to trans prom in our Nation's capital
Attire fabulous and fun, and a few lucky trans adults
(18:48):
were invited to join the festivities, including yours truly. Then,
after months of preparation, the Collective welcomed their attendees in DC,
and the night before Prom, they hosted a welcome dinner.
Young transphon were darting in every direction, ecstatic to be
a part of this new group, while the adults looked
(19:11):
on with pride. And just as everyone settled in, the
youth got to meet a very special guest.
Speaker 7 (19:20):
And then Chase was like, guys, I have a little surprise.
And Chase Granjio pulled out his phone and Elliott Pitche
was there, and I was like, oh my gosh, but
he's so sweet. He said, like the nicest thing to
us or things to us, but he was like basically
all in all was like, I'm so proud of y'all.
I love y'all.
Speaker 1 (19:41):
No doubt Elliott's words of encouragement were still ringing in
their ears the next morning, as we assembled on the
Capitol lawn. That's right on May twenty second. They had
two hundred people from all over the country travel in for.
Speaker 8 (19:56):
The big day.
Speaker 1 (19:58):
Libby recalls how she woke up really early to get ready.
Speaker 2 (20:02):
So I woke up around three thirty am to go
to hair and makeup because that took like two or
three hours. We got to the hair and makeup place,
and then they asked me to explain to them how
I wanted my hair to look. And then they like
(20:22):
made it like perfect, like my exact vision.
Speaker 1 (20:26):
After getting ready, Libby and Daniel have breakfast with a
bunch of their new friends and lined up in buses
to head to the Capitol together.
Speaker 2 (20:34):
It was insane, like the entire lobby was full with
people wearing like sparkly like rainbow outfits. It was amazing.
So we got out of the buses and they had
like this huge like thing and you walk like it
was all the trans adults and the parents, and there
was like a tunnel of them and they were all
(20:58):
holding like signs quotes from me, Daniel and the other
steering committee members. And then and they started playing music
and everyone was dancing. Oh my god, I was so excited.
Speaker 8 (21:12):
I was so excited because you hadn't fanned it for months,
months and months and months, and I was like, today
is like finally, the day today is translocked full action.
Speaker 11 (21:25):
A part of me didn't know what it was entirely.
Speaker 3 (21:27):
Gonna look like.
Speaker 1 (21:30):
The invitation said dress is your most fabulous self, and
they didn't disappoint. Libby, Daniel and all of their friends
served us prom royalty with beautiful gowns, flower crowns, glitter
bow ties, and they radiated trans joy.
Speaker 2 (21:49):
I actually did not plan this, but it was very
similar to like Wednesday Adams's like dance scene dress. And
then I had converse with a ton of like necklaces
with like onyx and laboratory like protective crystals.
Speaker 8 (22:09):
I put on my super awesome glittery boats hie, you know.
Speaker 2 (22:14):
But I had to wake up early.
Speaker 1 (22:15):
The thing they felt most exhilarated by was seeing all
the young trans kids who felt represented and empowered. There
was a sense of accomplishment from being able to cultivate
community on this scale.
Speaker 8 (22:31):
For a lot of people in their state, they didn't
have a lot of community, and so I feel like
they were really excited to have community, you know, in.
Speaker 2 (22:40):
This specific moment.
Speaker 8 (22:41):
And that was our main thing, is that we wanted
people to know that even if like community isn't unfortunately
out in front of their like front door, but that
there is community somewhere, you know. And z I mean, like,
I got community in Kansas City now, and in Texas
and California and in Maryland and in Austin.
Speaker 2 (23:05):
I don't even know all my states, but I know
I have them.
Speaker 8 (23:08):
I know, I know I have community in all of them,
you know. And that was the really important part for us.
There's not the use that came do that they would
have community.
Speaker 7 (23:18):
Look at us.
Speaker 5 (23:20):
We are a good thing.
Speaker 6 (23:21):
We are thriving.
Speaker 4 (23:23):
We are making a beautiful moment here.
Speaker 8 (23:25):
At the Capitol.
Speaker 2 (23:28):
I was also really excited to meet the younger trans kids,
because like really little and I just came out as trans.
I didn't really know very many other trans kids, and
so I was so excited to like make friends and
create a community. But I was also just excited to
(23:50):
meet all of these people that I haven't met before.
Speaker 1 (23:54):
Daniel and Libby also gave some inspiring speeches to close
out the day.
Speaker 8 (23:58):
Dread's prom is a celebration of that affirming love and supports.
It is trans joint and full display. We are proud,
we are visible, We will not be erased, and we
courageously stand here today in defiance of those who say
we are too young to know who we are. We
are here today because of our transgender ancestors, who face
(24:21):
discrimination and hate and paved away for for us to
exist today. We are the legacy, and we are the future.
Speaker 7 (24:28):
We are the.
Speaker 8 (24:28):
Future in which trans people will finally achieve liberation.
Speaker 11 (24:32):
Yes, I know that I'm only thirteen years old, But
even I know that there are a few things that
are not for debate. One the fact that we exist.
Two the fact that gender affirming healthcare has saved our
lives and allowed us to thrive. Three, the fact that
our gender is just as real assists people's. Four the
(24:55):
fact that our presence in the world does nothing to
threaten others.
Speaker 2 (25:01):
Our joy is ours, and today and.
Speaker 11 (25:03):
Every day we celebrate, grow and embrace it. So thank
you all for being here, celebrating with us, and being you. Together,
we will build an even better and more beautiful world
for us all.
Speaker 1 (25:23):
Seeing Daniel Libby and their peers on that capital line,
demanding to be heard and demanding their joy was healing
to me. I saw a glimpse of what my youth
would have looked like if I'd been supported in my
identity sooner. It took a lot of risks to come
out as gay at fourteen, and seemingly even more to
(25:45):
come out as trans at twenty, But once I owned
my truth and found community, I became determined to build
the world that queer and trans people deserve, and these
young trans folks seemed to have tapped into that commitment
as well. Their celebration gave me so much life, and
I was blessed to also have my mom there. The
(26:07):
sight of her beaming with pride will stay with me forever,
and I also felt pride as I looked on as
a new generation claimed its power.
Speaker 7 (26:17):
I really wanted. I mean, for even I'm really hoping
that we do like transpom annually, but I hope it
like continues to help empower younger trans youth, you know,
and to trans youth in general, because I mean, like
seeing all the little all the all the younger kids
(26:37):
there being so like happy and finding community and like
having older trans people to look up to was really
really amazing. But I know that in like my experience
that having like older trans people to look up to,
like with really important for me being able to understand
(27:01):
that I wasn't alone and to have that understanding that
I'm just as deserving of like dignity and.
Speaker 3 (27:10):
Human rights.
Speaker 1 (27:31):
Queer Chronicles is a production of School of Humans, The
Outspoken podcast Network, and iHeart Podcasts. I'm your host Raquel Willis.
You can find a list of resources in the show notes,
including trans Lifeline and the Trevor Project. This show was
written by Jordan Bailey, Etalise Perez, Aaron Edwards and Me.
(27:55):
Our story editors are Aaron Edwards and Julia Furlan. Produced
by Jordan Bailey, Julia for Laan and at Elise Perez.
Our senior producer is Amelia Brock, directed by Etiis Perez
sound design and mixed by mb al Raheem. Theme song
(28:16):
composed by Jesse Niswanger, casting by Jordan Bailey and Julia Farlan,
fact checking by Savannah Hugley. Our production manager is Daisy Church.
Executive producers include Jay Brunson and Me from The Outspoken
Podcast Network, Michael Alder, June and Noel Brown from iHeart Podcasts,
(28:38):
Virginia Prescott, Brandon Barr and Elsie Crowley from School of
Humans and The Cats Company. Special thanks to Rachel Gonzalez
and Lisette Truchio. If you're enjoying the show, please share
it with friends and family, and don't forget to rate
and review in your favorite podcast app. Tune in again
(28:59):
next week.
School of Humans.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
This is Queer Chronicles. This is my personal entry Queer.
Speaker 3 (00:20):
This is Queer Chronicles me to fight for my rights
at the Capitol because you are a black friends team
who those in Texas.
Speaker 4 (00:33):
Let's go.
Speaker 1 (00:35):
That's Safara, an eighteen year old from Texas who you
met a few episodes ago. Outside of her experiences as
a ballroom performer, she's also a fierce advocate for LGBTQ
plus rights. This clip is from a TikTok she posted
back in March twenty twenty three.
Speaker 4 (00:56):
So it's seven point forty and I just got to
the capital.
Speaker 5 (01:00):
The public hearing or testimony is supposed to start at eight,
but let's tell to get to push back a little
because it usually does.
Speaker 1 (01:07):
Sfar was getting ready to do something extremely brave. She
was at the Texas State Capital in her home city
of Austin to protest legislation that would prevent doctors from
providing gender firm and care to trans youth.
Speaker 5 (01:23):
So it's currently ten thirty three and we were so
sweet third on the agenda, but it looks like they're
going to push back h six because there's a lot
of testimonies because it's a shitty bill. So it looks
like I'm going to be here for a couple more hours,
so we'll see.
Speaker 1 (01:47):
But a few hours turned into an entire day of waiting.
Demonstrators gathered in the Capitol rotunda as the House convened,
waving LGBTQ plus flags and chanting and opposition of the bill.
Safar joined them as she waited and for her chance
to speak.
Speaker 4 (02:08):
Okay, it's currently ten forty eight pm. I've been here
for about fourteen hours. I still have got to testify.
A single trans team hasn't gotten to testify. But I'm
just gonna cry. But you know, it's okay, and let's
see how it goes.
Speaker 1 (02:28):
And then it finally happened, more than fourteen hours after
she arrived, tired, worn down, but still resolute so far,
spoke her truth in front of the very politicians who
were trying to strip her and her community's rights away and.
Speaker 6 (02:48):
HB sixteen eighty six can representing myself. I am here
as a girl who has been accepted into Columbia University
in the city of New York, for my prolific work
for the trans community on a national scale. But foremost,
I'm here the Black transgender team who's right far I
got to be stripped away. History backs to the validity
(03:09):
of transcendrism. Transgender people have existed in pre colonial indigenous
cultures around the world for millennia, so to think this
is something new it is simply false. I'm not confused,
nor am I a product of gay and trans and doctrination.
No one influenced me to be trans. They only supported
what I always knew was there.
Speaker 1 (03:33):
What Safar did that night in Texas shouldn't have been necessary.
But it's becoming all too common for young trans folks
to demand that lawmakers respect their decisions about their bodies,
their lives, and their identities. And Sofaram isn't alone. They
are even younger teenagers picking up that mantle too.
Speaker 2 (03:56):
The first time I testified, I was seven, and now
I'm thirteen. I have been advocating for myself and other
trans kids for more than half of my life.
Speaker 1 (04:07):
Like Libby, who also lives in Texas.
Speaker 2 (04:10):
I find advocacy empowering, but it's also honestly really hard.
I feel like no kid should ever have to do this.
I also know nothing will change if those of us
who do have safety in our lives stay silent, so
I made a decision to keep showing up as long
(04:32):
as I.
Speaker 1 (04:32):
Can, and Daniel from Arizona, So.
Speaker 4 (04:36):
When I got to sixth grade, me and my family.
Speaker 7 (04:40):
Took our advocacy to another level. We knew it was
so important for us we have to be visible as
a Latina immigrant family with a trans kid, so that
families like our own could see themselves included in the conversation.
It was especially important for us when we were talking
about the rights of transgender people. In eighth grade two
there was a lot of anti trans legislation or being
(05:04):
and like bills being for posed, and so we were
like constantly driving back and forth to our state capital
to testify, which was already a stressful Illinoian experience.
Speaker 1 (05:15):
You might remember that Libby began her advocacy journey when
she testified against a bathroom bill in Texas in twenty seventeen,
and Daniel was just nine years old when he started testifying.
Both Libby and Daniel have given so much of their
adolescence to advocacy, and they have only grown more determined
(05:35):
to stake their place in the world as they've matured.
In fact, they were two of the chief architects of
a historic event at the US Capitol last spring, and
they reminded the world that beyond anger and disappointment, there's
room for something else on the front lines. Celebration from
(05:57):
School of Humans, The Outspoken Podcast Network, and iHeart Podcasts.
This is Queer Chronic, a show where queer folks document
their personal lives and experiences in their own words, and
I'm your host, Raquel Willis. This season, a group of
(06:17):
teenagers are sharing their perspectives on growing up queer and
trans and gender non conforming while living in mostly red States.
In this episode, we're talking about activism and how our
teens are fighting for their rights. Libby and Daniel have
(06:42):
a lot in common. They're both Latine, they both began
advocating in elementary school, and they both understand that collaboration
and creativity are necessary for collective liberation.
Speaker 2 (06:57):
At first, my family was like, oh my gosh, well
this is something really scary, Like we weren't prepared for
it at all, and it was just like really hard
at first.
Speaker 7 (07:14):
But then.
Speaker 2 (07:16):
I made so many connections and I have created a
community by doing all this advocacy, and like now they're
like my chosen family, and that's what I think was
like a blessing in disguise.
Speaker 1 (07:36):
Throughout the years, Libby's family has been involved with groups
like the Human Rights Campaign and its Parents for Transgender
Equality National Council. This collective brings together parents across the
country who are committed to advocating for trans youth, and
it's where Libby's mom and Daniel's mom met in twenty seventeen.
(07:58):
The mother's hit it off, then Libby and Daniel hit
it off, and then their dads followed suit. And a
few years later, Libby and Daniel met for the first
time on a camping trip with their fathers and just
the side note, Their fathers and a few others starred
in The Dads, a recent documentary about their love for
(08:22):
and embrace of their trans kids. It's streaming on Netflix,
so check it out.
Speaker 7 (08:29):
That was my first time going camping ever and my
last time going camping ever.
Speaker 2 (08:34):
They fed us like subway.
Speaker 7 (08:36):
I feel like subway is good in certain situations, and
it's in those situations when you're camping, is when it's good.
Speaker 2 (08:43):
You caught a fish, though, didn't you.
Speaker 7 (08:46):
I don't think I caught a fish, but the fish
scare me, and that's that's like a reason I don't
eat fish either is because I feel like they look scary,
and so trying to catch one was scary.
Speaker 2 (08:59):
They kind of are I'm like the least out doorsy Texans.
Speaker 1 (09:04):
Their fishing experien answers aside, that camping trip really deepened
their friendship.
Speaker 2 (09:10):
Since then, we've been really really close.
Speaker 7 (09:14):
I feel like we've been around each other so many
times because of all the all the activism we have
to do, you know, that we've just kind of like
bonded with that.
Speaker 2 (09:27):
We're like really similar in some ways, but some ways
we're like complete opposites. Like, for example, our tastes and
music they're very different, and our outdoor zeness very different.
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (09:46):
They've grown so close that they see each other as family.
Speaker 8 (09:50):
Now me and Libby we're like cousins. Basically, we've already
decided that we're like cousins.
Speaker 2 (09:57):
That's really cool.
Speaker 9 (09:57):
Like we text each other, we tell each other all
the all the drama, you know, but really it's really
nice to know that you got like community, even if
it's not even in your hometown, but just community out
there in the world.
Speaker 2 (10:14):
It feels pretty cool having a friend like to Daniel
he's much older than me, so he can give me
a lot of advice, but like we can like talk
to each other about a lot of stuff and we
can like relate to each other.
Speaker 8 (10:32):
That's my dreama right there.
Speaker 1 (10:36):
As you might be able to tell, Libby and Daniel's
powerful bond is based in part on a pretty unique
extracurricular They both regularly protest and testify for their rights
at state capitals. It's a serious time commitment, and it
starts pretty early in the day and often pretty early
(10:57):
in the year.
Speaker 8 (10:59):
That usually starts around like January, and for me, that's
my second semester every year in school. And it's honestly
really taxing. It's really mostly taxing. It's like tiring, you know.
Speaker 2 (11:18):
I get up at home around like six am maybe,
and then I like spend quite a bit of time
figuring out what sort of outfit I want to wear,
and then we like start packing, like putting all the
stuff that we might need in the car, and then
(11:41):
we drive there, which is like seven hours, and it's
very intense. I go and I feel very like, I
feel very like courageous, but at the same time I
feel very fearful. And normally when I'm going I do
like little doodles expressing my emotions. It's always really scary
(12:06):
and really intimidating because I always feel like they're just
like looking at me and like deciding if they trust
us or not, or if they think that my existence
is worth.
Speaker 8 (12:15):
It is really frustrating and really upsetting if anything makes
me really disappointed. And at some point you got to
feel a little annoyed to be there because it feels
like you're gonna say your testimony who just people who
like don't really care that much, and so then you're
(12:36):
just really saying you're testimony to people that like don't
actually want to listen and don't want to listen to
what you have to say.
Speaker 1 (12:44):
After years of dedicating themselves to activism and developing a
friendship along the way, Libby and Daniel got a bit
exhausted with all of the anti LGBTQ legislation and rhetoric
out there. They became frustrated with the world they were
growing up in.
Speaker 2 (13:02):
It's so easy for legislators to paint a picture for
the general public there were something we aren't. We're just kids,
kids that don't want to keep showing up, and yet
we are continuing to show up to fight for our rights.
Speaker 7 (13:22):
Me and Libby were talking one day and we were like,
we were just talking about all the anti trans legislation
we're facing in like our perspective states, and so basically
we were like, we need a political action.
Speaker 1 (13:38):
A political action, a statement, something that felt like a
celebration of all of their work, and a message to
the world saying they wouldn't back down anytime soon. More
on that after the break.
Speaker 2 (14:01):
At first, we kind of just wanted to have like
a pro to but like centered in joy, and then
we started thinking about like joyful occasions.
Speaker 1 (14:12):
After feeling the effects of protesting and testifying taking their toll,
Libby and Daniel decided to make space for celebration. So
they started dreaming about an action that spoke to their
lives as teenagers, envisioning what it would be like to
have a day of pure happiness with other kids.
Speaker 8 (14:32):
Like them, and so that's where it kind of snowballs
into the idea.
Speaker 2 (14:38):
And then we were like, oh, problems are pretty joyful,
and then they're also a place it makes LGBTQ people
feel left out. So we wanted to do like our
own version of prom except where we are all accepted.
Speaker 8 (14:55):
I think we've more focused first in the beginning, like
what we wanted trans prompt to do, Like what we
wanted it to be for people, And I was like
dead say, I was like, we needed to be a
celebration of who we are.
Speaker 1 (15:11):
Daniel and Libby have officially redefined prom Yeah, there will
be dancing and music and fabulous outfits, but our duo
and their friends added in a few more crucial ingredients
community empowerment and solidarity. In recent years, queer and trans
(15:32):
teens across the country have been planning their own prominence,
particularly in states where their identities and gender expression aren't
as openly affirmed. It's something that every teenager deserves to
experience and participate in if they want to. So Libby
and Daniel got to work on perhaps the first national
(15:55):
iteration of this event.
Speaker 7 (15:58):
And so we went to our parents and our parents
were like, this is a great idea, and they brought
us to Chase and Chase was like, I'm not an
organ measure, but I do know some people, and that's
how we got the ball rolling.
Speaker 1 (16:12):
That Chase they're speaking about was Chase Strantio, a lawyer,
transactivist and one of my good friends, Chase, hit the
ground running, helping them bring their vision to reality. They
also had help from two other teens they met through
their activism, Grayson and Hobbes.
Speaker 10 (16:31):
Here's Chase. So transprom originated with a group of four
young people who with their parents reached out to me
and said, we're sick of doing the same thing every year.
We're sick of just spending our childhoods defending our existence
and urging our lawmakers not to attack us. That is
(16:53):
a sort of very demoralizing project, of course, and one
that they recognized that was not either personally or politically liberating.
And so they came and said, we want to do
something bigger. We want to do something as centers our
humanity and our joy, and so trans Pom was born
of that desire.
Speaker 1 (17:13):
Their vision wasn't necessarily the same as the problems you
might recognize from movies. Instead, their trans youth prom would
be in front of the US Capital in Washington, DC,
and they'd invite young people from all over the country
to dance and reclaim space right in front of the
legislators they've been fighting against for years.
Speaker 8 (17:33):
It sets an expectation for what the world will look
like or the world should look like, because unfortunately, right
now the world only looks like that in these kind
of spaces, you know, And so I really want these
trans youths to see that. I know that they're deserving
a feeling affirmed and supported.
Speaker 1 (17:54):
So with their mission in mind, they started prepping. Their
steering committee consisted of Daniel Libby, Rason Hobbs Chase, their parents,
and some volunteers. Of course, their first order of business
was ensuring there would be music and a stage.
Speaker 2 (18:13):
We really wanted like a DJ, and then we also
really wanted like a like a platform for like speaking,
and then we really wanted a photo booth.
Speaker 1 (18:25):
With the entertainment solidified, the Collective secured a permit for
the Capital Line on a date in late May, and
with that they sent out invites reading, you and a
guardian are invited to trans prom in our Nation's capital
Attire fabulous and fun, and a few lucky trans adults
(18:48):
were invited to join the festivities, including yours truly. Then,
after months of preparation, the Collective welcomed their attendees in DC,
and the night before Prom, they hosted a welcome dinner.
Young transphon were darting in every direction, ecstatic to be
a part of this new group, while the adults looked
(19:11):
on with pride. And just as everyone settled in, the
youth got to meet a very special guest.
Speaker 7 (19:20):
And then Chase was like, guys, I have a little surprise.
And Chase Granjio pulled out his phone and Elliott Pitche
was there, and I was like, oh my gosh, but
he's so sweet. He said, like the nicest thing to
us or things to us, but he was like basically
all in all was like, I'm so proud of y'all.
I love y'all.
Speaker 1 (19:41):
No doubt Elliott's words of encouragement were still ringing in
their ears the next morning, as we assembled on the
Capitol lawn. That's right on May twenty second. They had
two hundred people from all over the country travel in for.
Speaker 8 (19:56):
The big day.
Speaker 1 (19:58):
Libby recalls how she woke up really early to get ready.
Speaker 2 (20:02):
So I woke up around three thirty am to go
to hair and makeup because that took like two or
three hours. We got to the hair and makeup place,
and then they asked me to explain to them how
I wanted my hair to look. And then they like
(20:22):
made it like perfect, like my exact vision.
Speaker 1 (20:26):
After getting ready, Libby and Daniel have breakfast with a
bunch of their new friends and lined up in buses
to head to the Capitol together.
Speaker 2 (20:34):
It was insane, like the entire lobby was full with
people wearing like sparkly like rainbow outfits. It was amazing.
So we got out of the buses and they had
like this huge like thing and you walk like it
was all the trans adults and the parents, and there
was like a tunnel of them and they were all
(20:58):
holding like signs quotes from me, Daniel and the other
steering committee members. And then and they started playing music
and everyone was dancing. Oh my god, I was so excited.
Speaker 8 (21:12):
I was so excited because you hadn't fanned it for months,
months and months and months, and I was like, today
is like finally, the day today is translocked full action.
Speaker 11 (21:25):
A part of me didn't know what it was entirely.
Speaker 3 (21:27):
Gonna look like.
Speaker 1 (21:30):
The invitation said dress is your most fabulous self, and
they didn't disappoint. Libby, Daniel and all of their friends
served us prom royalty with beautiful gowns, flower crowns, glitter
bow ties, and they radiated trans joy.
Speaker 2 (21:49):
I actually did not plan this, but it was very
similar to like Wednesday Adams's like dance scene dress. And
then I had converse with a ton of like necklaces
with like onyx and laboratory like protective crystals.
Speaker 8 (22:09):
I put on my super awesome glittery boats hie, you know.
Speaker 2 (22:14):
But I had to wake up early.
Speaker 1 (22:15):
The thing they felt most exhilarated by was seeing all
the young trans kids who felt represented and empowered. There
was a sense of accomplishment from being able to cultivate
community on this scale.
Speaker 8 (22:31):
For a lot of people in their state, they didn't
have a lot of community, and so I feel like
they were really excited to have community, you know, in.
Speaker 2 (22:40):
This specific moment.
Speaker 8 (22:41):
And that was our main thing, is that we wanted
people to know that even if like community isn't unfortunately
out in front of their like front door, but that
there is community somewhere, you know. And z I mean, like,
I got community in Kansas City now, and in Texas
and California and in Maryland and in Austin.
Speaker 2 (23:05):
I don't even know all my states, but I know
I have them.
Speaker 8 (23:08):
I know, I know I have community in all of them,
you know. And that was the really important part for us.
There's not the use that came do that they would
have community.
Speaker 7 (23:18):
Look at us.
Speaker 5 (23:20):
We are a good thing.
Speaker 6 (23:21):
We are thriving.
Speaker 4 (23:23):
We are making a beautiful moment here.
Speaker 8 (23:25):
At the Capitol.
Speaker 2 (23:28):
I was also really excited to meet the younger trans kids,
because like really little and I just came out as trans.
I didn't really know very many other trans kids, and
so I was so excited to like make friends and
create a community. But I was also just excited to
(23:50):
meet all of these people that I haven't met before.
Speaker 1 (23:54):
Daniel and Libby also gave some inspiring speeches to close
out the day.
Speaker 8 (23:58):
Dread's prom is a celebration of that affirming love and supports.
It is trans joint and full display. We are proud,
we are visible, We will not be erased, and we
courageously stand here today in defiance of those who say
we are too young to know who we are. We
are here today because of our transgender ancestors, who face
(24:21):
discrimination and hate and paved away for for us to
exist today. We are the legacy, and we are the future.
Speaker 7 (24:28):
We are the.
Speaker 8 (24:28):
Future in which trans people will finally achieve liberation.
Speaker 11 (24:32):
Yes, I know that I'm only thirteen years old, But
even I know that there are a few things that
are not for debate. One the fact that we exist.
Two the fact that gender affirming healthcare has saved our
lives and allowed us to thrive. Three, the fact that
our gender is just as real assists people's. Four the
(24:55):
fact that our presence in the world does nothing to
threaten others.
Speaker 2 (25:01):
Our joy is ours, and today and.
Speaker 11 (25:03):
Every day we celebrate, grow and embrace it. So thank
you all for being here, celebrating with us, and being you. Together,
we will build an even better and more beautiful world
for us all.
Speaker 1 (25:23):
Seeing Daniel Libby and their peers on that capital line,
demanding to be heard and demanding their joy was healing
to me. I saw a glimpse of what my youth
would have looked like if I'd been supported in my
identity sooner. It took a lot of risks to come
out as gay at fourteen, and seemingly even more to
(25:45):
come out as trans at twenty, But once I owned
my truth and found community, I became determined to build
the world that queer and trans people deserve, and these
young trans folks seemed to have tapped into that commitment
as well. Their celebration gave me so much life, and
I was blessed to also have my mom there. The
(26:07):
sight of her beaming with pride will stay with me forever,
and I also felt pride as I looked on as
a new generation claimed its power.
Speaker 7 (26:17):
I really wanted. I mean, for even I'm really hoping
that we do like transpom annually, but I hope it
like continues to help empower younger trans youth, you know,
and to trans youth in general, because I mean, like
seeing all the little all the all the younger kids
(26:37):
there being so like happy and finding community and like
having older trans people to look up to was really
really amazing. But I know that in like my experience
that having like older trans people to look up to,
like with really important for me being able to understand
(27:01):
that I wasn't alone and to have that understanding that
I'm just as deserving of like dignity and.
Speaker 3 (27:10):
Human rights.
Speaker 1 (27:31):
Queer Chronicles is a production of School of Humans, The
Outspoken podcast Network, and iHeart Podcasts. I'm your host Raquel Willis.
You can find a list of resources in the show notes,
including trans Lifeline and the Trevor Project. This show was
written by Jordan Bailey, Etalise Perez, Aaron Edwards and Me.
(27:55):
Our story editors are Aaron Edwards and Julia Furlan. Produced
by Jordan Bailey, Julia for Laan and at Elise Perez.
Our senior producer is Amelia Brock, directed by Etiis Perez
sound design and mixed by mb al Raheem. Theme song
(28:16):
composed by Jesse Niswanger, casting by Jordan Bailey and Julia Farlan,
fact checking by Savannah Hugley. Our production manager is Daisy Church.
Executive producers include Jay Brunson and Me from The Outspoken
Podcast Network, Michael Alder, June and Noel Brown from iHeart Podcasts,
(28:38):
Virginia Prescott, Brandon Barr and Elsie Crowley from School of
Humans and The Cats Company. Special thanks to Rachel Gonzalez
and Lisette Truchio. If you're enjoying the show, please share
it with friends and family, and don't forget to rate
and review in your favorite podcast app. Tune in again
(28:59):
next week.
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