San Francisco's transgender and drag communities fight back against anti-LGBTQ+ bills

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- In response to the hundreds of anti-LGBTQ-plus bills being introduced across the nation San Francisco's transgender and drag queen communities are joining forces to fight back.

"One of the things that is really upsetting about this is they aren't just attacking us as people, but they're also attacking our pursuit of happiness," said Honey Mahogany, transgender activist and Chair of the San Francisco Democratic Party. "Our community's really been at attack for a while now.

We know that there have been hundreds of bills introduced.

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Mahogany and others are planning a march from City Hall to Union Square on April 8 at 11 a.m., led by San Francisco's Drag Queen community.

"We have a fabulous contingent of drag performers and beautiful trans people, but we really need our allies to show up because we can't do this alone," said Sister Roma, who's been been performing on San Francisco's drag stages for 35 years, noting she fears violence now more than ever.

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"Every time you get in drag and you stand in a huge audience there's an idea of that in the back of your mind, but these days it's a real concern," said Sister Roma.

"Even though drag queens are not necessarily trans and trans people are not necessarily drag queens we do have people like myself that check both boxes." explained Mahogany, noting laws like the one just passed in Tennessee - restricting public drag shows - threaten both communities.

"The laws are written broadly enough that it could apply to both and so if you're a trans person walking around in public and a child sees you you could technically be breaking the law and arrested just for existing."

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From banning gender affirming surgery to . . . drag queen story times . . . there are now nearly 500 bills nationwide taking aim at the LGBTQ+ community.

"What I'm hoping is that we can show people that despite all these laws that are being thrown at us despite all the opposition it seems we have from the republican party that we are able to fight back and do it with love and joy," said Mahogany.

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