On March 29th, 20 peaceful protestors were arrested at the Capitol in Frankfort for refusing to leave the House gallery while SB150 was being voted into law. The media referred to the protesters as the Gallery 19 when it was actually 20 who were arrested. Thank you to one of the 20 arrested @SpaceHaitian for sending us this update below. Please sign this petition if you haven’t already and send it to others to spread it too!

We’ve released a collective statement on the charges against us and why we did what we did:

KENTUCKY 20 FULL STATEMENT ON SB 150 PROTEST AND ARRESTS

We are the working-class Kentuckians who were unjustly jailed fighting for trans rights. We’re baristas, poets, medical workers, teachers, and more. We’re trans and cis, queer and straight, black and white, disabled and able-bodied, old and young and everything in between. We build power by organizing across the lines that are used to divide us, and we refuse to sit idly by while we and our siblings, friends, and students are demonized and dehumanized by the ruling class and out of touch politicians in Frankfort and Washington.

Because this government is profoundly undemocratic, there was no way to stop this bill from passing. This is why we chose to protest from the gallery, where our so-called “representatives” couldn’t ignore us. They couldn’t pass this brutal and inhumane bill without hearing our cries for Henry, Zachee, and every other trans person who should be with us today. Over and over again they tried to call a vote, and every time we made sure their ears were ringing with the names and voices of the trans people they’re trying to persecute.

We plead “not guilty” to the state’s charges of trespassing and demand that all charges be dropped. Like all of the other protesters that day, our presence was legal, and we did no damage to property. We have the right to protest, a right to free speech, and our anger is directed at the career politicians using trans kids as tools for their own advancement, and those who refuse or are unable to stop them.

We know that this is an attack on the rights of all working class people, on our education and healthcare. Transphobia, homophobia, racism, land theft, worker exploitation, and all forms of systemic oppression stem from the same oppressive system: capitalism. Through struggle, we have arrived at a shared political strategy: a united front. We call for a grassroots struggle of all people who want to see trans kids thrive in the world, and for an end to fascist oppression. We believe trans liberation will not be won through voting or reforms. We know we will not find freedom through polite lobbying, begging legislators for our rights. We know that we achieve liberation through direct action and direct service, and through a complete overhaul of our current systems. That’s why we came to the Capitol on March 29th: to protest the systematic dehumanization of trans people, especially trans kids, and the total inability of the capitalist state to protect trans lives. Tell us, why should we continue to let these politicians and organizations dominate the conversation about our rights when their mis-leadership has only led to those rights being dismantled?

Trans kids: you aren’t alone. We see you, value you, and want you to know that you have a place in the world and in the struggle for justice. Don’t let anyone tell you to “calm down.” Take your anger and direct it into an explosive cry of “never again!” Join revolutionary organizations, join this united front, and take back your rights!