Finding connections at Washington rally

I went to the Hands Off rally in Washington D.C. on April 5th, 2025, with my grandfather.

We took the metro into the city. On the way, we spoke with some other people on the train who were also attending the protest. There was a group of women in their 60s and 70s who were bringing their own signs denouncing the administration and its actions toward vulnerable communities and programs that average Americans rely on to survive. There was a woman who was handing out “Hands Off” stickers to place on our clothes, bags, or signs — a fun way to identify each other should we find someone in the crowd later. There was a young woman a few seats away that was gluing the words “Make America Think Again” to a sign shaped like a book (talk about last minute!), who we ran into as we wandered through the crowd during the protest hours later.

The event was well attended. There were thousands of people there mostly gathered up at the monument with some groups and activities taking place in the mall area.

The energy was… contagious. We wandered through the crowd, listening to chants of “No Trump, no KKK, no fascist U.S.A”. We came across a socialism group singing of unity and freedom.

As we walked, we admired other’s signs and had others ask for pictures of ours. People were particularly fond of my “Gutless Oligarch Panderers” sign and my papa’s “Rat Food” sign with a picture of Elon Musk in a cheese hat.

To the left of the monument, there were speakers and a crowd gathered to listen. We heard some as we walked through the crowd to leave.

The openness of the speaker regarding their status as an undocumented immigrant impressed me, considering that one of the issues that united the attendees was the disappearance of multiple lawful residents in the last two months. I couldn’t help but think about my own hesitance to have my necklace, which visibly marks me as a queer and transgender man, visible. The courage that speakers such as her have… I will always admire it.

My favorite thing about these events is the connection. At the beginning of this year, when Trump took office and began making changes, I felt very alone. There was such disconnect between the concern I had and the overwhelming fear I felt and the ongoing daily expectations of life that made me feel crazy.

How can life continue to go on when the future is so uncertain? How am I supposed to focus on anything when the president has signed an executive order stating that I do not exist?

Attending these events, I see that I was never alone. Everyone here has felt that fear, that despair, that overwhelming uncertainty, and decided to be brave in the face of it all.

We The People showed up, and We The People Will Prevail.