On Saturday afternoon, Uniting Pride of Champaign County staged a rally for queer and transgender youth autonomy at the Champaign County Courthouse. 

Nicole Frydman, director of operations at Uniting Pride, helped organize the rally.

“(LGBTQ+ youth) never asked to be in this fight, but they are meeting it with strength, beauty and thoughtfulness,” Frydman said. “They deserve our work to help this world be a better place once we’ve shuffled off this mortal coil and they are left to deal with our mess.”

The rally, conceived as part of a national Queer Youth Assemble initiative, was originally scheduled to take place on March 31, in observance of International Trans Day of Visibility. The rally was postponed due to a tornado warning in the area.

Uniting Pride was inspired to hold the rally by Aydin Tariq, a sophomore at Mattoon High School and LGBTQ+ activist. According to Frydman, the teenager contacted Uniting Pride with the idea for the rally and it was unanimously approved by the organization’s board.

Tariq explained that the cancellation of the original rally brought their initiative to the attention of more Illinois-based LGBTQ+ interest groups. 

“We’ve gotten support from local organizations like Equality Illinois, which is a statewide organization, the Illinois Safe Schools Alliance, which helps to make schools safer for queer youth, and the (Parents for Lesbians and Gays) chapters,” Tariq said. “They’ve all supported us and said that they’ll send somebody, as well as the speakers who will be here later today.”

The event featured a variety of speakers from across Central Illinois, including Reverend Sally Fritsche from the Unitarian Universalist Church of Champaign Urbana, who told the crowd that her intention in speaking at the event was not to offer a prayer.

“As we all know, thoughts and prayers are not what (trans youth) need at this moment,” Fritsche said.  

Aiden Novinska, operations coordinator at Uniting Pride, said an accepting community was one of the most important assets to his experience as a young trans person.

“(In a Trevor Project survey), LGBTQ youth who felt high social support from their family reported attempting suicide at less than half the rate of those who felt moderate social support,” Novinska said. “Your allyship and advocacy don’t have to be perfect, … you don’t have to have all the answers or fully understand every aspect of being LGBTQ+. All that matters is that you believe us, encourage us, respect us, hold space for us and make it clear that you are in this fight with us.”

According to Tariq, his motivation in organizing the event was to highlight the support that LGBTQ+ youth have in the Champaign-Urbana community.

“The main purpose of this rally and event is to show queer youth — not just in C-U, but across the state — that they are welcomed and affirmed here,” Tariq said. “It can be very scary for them to have to look at the news and see the legislators that were elected to represent them arguing about whether or not they should have the right to exist as who they are.” 

The organizer’s mother, Jennifer Tariq, said Uniting Pride and other local LGBTQ+ organizations can serve as a support system for young people who may not feel comfortable or safe coming out to their families or school communities.

“For those out there that maybe haven’t opened up or had that conversation (about gender identity or sexuality) — maybe they don’t have a supportive home life — there are resources and people out there that support them, and they should seek them out,” Tariq said.

According to Frydman, it is especially important to show vocal support for LGBTQ+ youth in the face of recent anti-transgender political dialogues.

“Be vocal and visible and make sure as many young people see you as possible,” Frydman said. “Be crystal clear about where you stand … because silence favors the oppressor, never the oppressed.”

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