The Trans Latinx march is taking place in Corona Plaza, Queens, New York for its 10th annual event. The march will highlight the issues of trans violence, transgender acceptance, and the criminalization of sex work.

The demonstration will also cover immigrant issues, non-binary topics, and call attention to the protection of trans women of color.

Make the Road New York, a nonprofit organization that focuses on the issues of immigrant and working class communities will take charge of organizing the march.

Last year, the Trans Latinx march was conducted via Zoom, with some events taking place in-person. 

The organization also held a vigil to offer their condolences to LGBTQ+ and trans members of the community who passed away from COVID-19.

The demonstration will also discuss the uptick in Black and Latinx trans violence. Last May, a local Mexican trans woman from the Bronx was violently assaulted by her date, a man who she met on the dating app, Grindr.

Roxy Perez was brutally attacked by her date after turning down multiple sexual requests. The attack took place in her South Bronx apartment, and the attacker left after he beat her.

“He kept pushing me,” Perez said to Gay City News. “What part of ‘I don’t want to have sex with you’ do you not understand?’”

Perez is just one of many transgender women who often get oversexualized for just being themselves. 

“Nobody can touch me if I say no,” she said. “It’s not about the sex. It is about my dignity. Because I’m transgender, I’m supposed to want sex 24/7?”

Further demonstrations will also touch on the death of Layleen Polanco, an Afro-Latina transgendered woman who died of an apparent epileptic seizure while under custody at Riker’s Island on June 7, 2019.

Surveillance video showed multiple security officers knocking on the door and laughing at her; she was unresponsive.

The frustrating part of the investigation is that she was awaiting trial for a misdemeanor and wasn't able to afford her bail of $500. She was taken to Rikers Island in April, and died a little more than a month later.

Polanco, who had a history of mental illness, was ordered to stay in solitary confinement for 20 days. On the ninth day, she died.

In June 2019, the New York City Department of Investigation and the Bronx District Attorney concluded that the Rikers Island officers were not responsible for Polanco’s death.

The demonstration will begin at 6 p.m. and leaders are hoping people from all over the country will support the cause.