Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) chose to miss President Donald Trump’s State of the Union speech to advocate for gender reassignment rights for minors.
Instead of attending, Jayapal joined other Democrats at a rally dubbed “State of the Union” on the National Mall. Some lawmakers spoke out, including one who mentioned having adult children, discussing the experiences of those who identify as gender non-conforming. Despite the opposition from the Trump administration regarding minors’ gender reassignment, she asserted that “transgender children face bullying” for being “gender non-conforming.”
“Trans kids across the country are really tired of being bullied. It’s not them who are raising rents; it’s the billionaires doing that. We’re here to stand up for trans kids everywhere,” Jayapal expressed in a clip from her speech.
The event featured multiple organizations, including Move On Civic Action, and highlighted stories from “everyday Americans” impacted by Trump’s controversial policies, as reported.
Meanwhile, President Trump used part of his speech to criticize schools that have gender secrecy policies allowing minors to transition without parental consent. He claimed that not a single Democrat sided with him on this issue, which he harshly labeled as “crazy.”
Read more: President Trump extends SOTU invitation to girls separated from parents after secret sex change
“No country should separate children from their parents to change their gender against the parents’ wishes. Who in their right mind thinks this is okay? We need to put a stop to it now,” Trump stated during his address, glancing towards the seated Democrats as applause erupted from Republicans.
“Look at them; no one is standing up. These folks are out of touch. I’m telling you, they’re crazy,” Trump remarked, directing attention to a row of displeased Democrats. “We’re fortunate to have a nation with people like this. The Democrats are ruining our country, and we halted that just in time, right?”
