Fifth annual Winnipeg Trans March held to fight for transgender rights, bring community together

About 300 trans people and allies marched through downtown Winnipeg Saturday calling for an end to discrimination.

"In the last year, we have seen a lot of places where our rights have been denied," said Jordy Anglin-Reimer, 19.

"A lot of the general public is starting to turn against trans people," added Anglin-Reimer, who is a member of the Prime Minister's Youth Council, a group of Canadian youth chosen to advise the federal government on issues that matter to them.

"I am just scared. It feels like I'm being attacked on all sides for trying to be who I am."

Marchers walked from the Manitoba Legislature grounds to the Canadian Museum for Human Rights in the city's fifth annual Trans March. The first one was held in 2017.

Sophia Lebar, an organizer, said it's important to have a Trans March separate from the Pride Parade because the trans community is up against its own barriers.

"There can be a lot of factionalism in Pride. People saw that they won the right to get married in the States and were like:'Oh well, Pride, we don't need Pride anymore," Lebar said.

Whileit's important to celebrate the community, it's also vital to stand up for issues that affect trans lives,Lebar said.

"People are upset with all the stuff in the States, the book banning," Lebar said. "We want to be prideful but people are upset. People are not happy."

For example in early May,a call to ban LGBTQ, sexual education resourcesand other books within Brandon School Division libraries causedoutage among members of the LGBTQ community.

A delegation had called on the division to set up a committee to review the content of books available in school libraries, and remove "any books that caused our kids to question whether they are in the wrong body." The division later rejected the call.

"We have to be serious not just be like:'Oh, everything's good' 'cause it's not. Not yet," said Lebar.

Piper Lockhart, another participant, said there's strength in numbers when it comes to standing up for the community.

"What is life if everyone doesn't have a chance to live it to the fullest?" Lockhart said.

A Pride rally at the Manitoba Legislative Building is set to take place Sunday at 10 a.m. and will be followed by the Pride parade at11 a.m. at Memorial Park.