Hands Off Rally: Our President Martha Marvel Speaks Truth to Power

Check out the complete video of Martha Marvel's speech at the April 5, 2025 Hands Off Rally.

On Saturday, April 5, 2025, our Bay Area Council on Gender Diversity president Martha Marvel took the stage at Green Bay's Leicht Memorial Park as the opening speaker for the "Hands Off" rally. The event drew approximately 1,500 community members who gathered to protest threats to healthcare, social programs, and civil rights—with transgender visibility and protection emerging as key themes through Martha's powerful testimony.

BACGD Takes Center Stage at Hands Off Green Bay

As part of a nationwide movement with over 1,200 coordinated events, we were so very proud to have Martha represent transgender voices in Northeast Wisconsin. Her presence marked a significant moment for our community—a transgender woman addressing a large public gathering in Green Bay and receiving enthusiastic support.

"As a trans person, I'm amazed that I even have to be here," Martha told the crowd. "We live in a crazy world that is trying to erase us out. No, but we are not going to be erased."

In her characteristic straightforward style, Martha emphasized that transgender people are not a new phenomenon: "We are not a phase. We are not something that has just appeared because of a woke agenda. We have been here since the beginning of time." She reminded attendees that in Northeast Wisconsin, Indigenous cultures have long recognized multiple genders through two-spirit traditions.

Building on Our Visibility Work

The rally came just days after our organization's Transgender Day of Visibility events, which included Mayor Genrich's proclamation and community celebrations. Martha's platform at the Hands Off rally continued this vital visibility work, connecting transgender rights to broader social justice issues.

"I spent 40 years of my life in search of a cure," Martha shared in a poignant moment. "But I know now, in my heart of hearts, and affirmed by the science of our world, that I am naturally an expression of God's creation."

Community Response and Media Coverage

Local media captured our message, with the Green Bay Press-Gazette reporting on the impressive turnout. The Wisconsin Examiner noted that the crowd far exceeded organizers' expectations, with protesters holding signs demanding protection for social services and civil liberties.

Martha's speech resonated deeply with attendees of all backgrounds—families with children, college students, working people, and seniors—united in their call for justice. As rally participant Sharon Erdman told NBC26, "We are here because we love justice and we love our country."

Our Continuing Advocacy

For our Bay Area Council on Gender Diversity, Martha's speech at the rally represents another pivotal moment in our advocacy work. Her powerful words demonstrated why our organization's mission remains vital: "I hope to God we can create a world where trans people can come out of their closets and live their life to the fullest."

The Hands Off Rally stands as a testament to our community's commitment to inclusion and equality. As Martha concluded her address with a riff on a quote by Laverne Cox, "It's not the 1% of the trans community that we have to worry about. It's the 1% at the other end of the spectrum."

Video Transcript:

00:00:00:00 - 00:00:18:02

Crowd Chanting

When it comes. We're here because we're here. Because we're here. Because we're here.

00:00:18:02 - 00:00:36:02

Wanda Sieber

The job. The job. Our next speaker is Martha Marvell. Take it away.

00:00:36:04 - 00:00:44:12

Martha Marvel

My God. It's good to see you. All.

00:00:44:13 - 00:00:52:05

Martha Marvel

Dickens once said it's the best of times and it's the worst of times.

00:00:52:06 - 00:01:39:08

Martha Marvel

As a trans person, I'm amazed that I even have to be here. We live in a crazy world that is trying to snuff in. Erase us out. No, but we are not going to be erased. For the past 40 years. I've lived in Alloway. I've got four kids, 11 grandkids, and I thought I was going to be able to live my life in quiet with some basic human respect in the world in which I lived.

00:01:39:10 - 00:02:13:19

Martha Marvel

Never in my wildest imagination did I think I would be before for such an auspicious gathering of people. But actions and the crazy world we live in forced me out of my comfortable place. And so I'm here to speak about, first of all, some of the realities of transgender people. How many of you have heard about trans people?

00:02:13:21 - 00:02:52:16

Martha Marvel

And in one way, I kind of think those who have despair urged us. They actually spent $20 million with lies, half truths to try to stir up, you know, a voter base, to distract the world from really important issues. And we're not going to let that happen.

00:02:52:18 - 00:03:11:04

Martha Marvel

Okay. So I want to start with just a few thoughts, facts about trans people that you may or may not be aware of. First of all, we are not a phase.

00:03:11:06 - 00:03:54:00

Martha Marvel

We are not something that has just appeared because of a woke agenda. We have been here since the beginning of time and for all of recorded history, there are examples of transgender people, of cultures that welcome and sellable multiple genders in Northeast Wisconsin and throughout the country. Our Native American indigenous people have recognized multiple genders called two spirit people.

00:03:54:02 - 00:04:38:20

Martha Marvel

It's not an ideology. I am not an ideology. I am very real. Look out, world. We represent about 1% of the population. Now, that doesn't sound like a lot, and it certainly provides those who want to use us as a distraction, an easy target. But in Brown County, that means there are 2750 of us, and regretfully, most of us are hiding in closets here.

00:04:38:22 - 00:04:55:04

Martha Marvel

I hope to God we can create a world where trans people can come out of their closets and live their life to the fullest.

00:04:55:06 - 00:05:30:15

Martha Marvel

People often ask what causes transgender people to exist? Well, you might as well ask the question what causes the left handedness? It's just a natural expression of the creator's plan. It doesn't necessarily fit the cultural description, our understanding, but it is very real. So now I ask, is there a cure?

00:05:30:17 - 00:06:31:14

Martha Marvel

I spent 40 years of my life in search of a cure with counselors, therapists, spirits, tool directors. At one point I went on an eight day silent retreat. I thought I would die. But I know now, in my heart of hearts, and affirmed by the science of our world, that I am naturally an expression of God's creation. You've heard about gender affirming care, and you've heard about the ridiculous allegations of chemical and physical mutilations.

00:06:31:16 - 00:07:01:13

Martha Marvel

That rarely, if ever, happens, especially when we hold up children. Gender affirming care is walking with people. It's a team of good medical experts, mental health professionals, parents, extended family. To walk with trans people, to be their authentic selves and.

00:07:01:15 - 00:07:13:05

Martha Marvel

And make no mistake about it, it does save lives.

00:07:13:07 - 00:07:54:12

Martha Marvel

The administration has bent over backwards to try to erase us. There is no group that has received more negative attention. The president has initiated no less than 12 different initiatives in the couple of months since the inauguration. The first initiative that took place on the very first day was to define sex as binary male and female. And of course, we all know from high school in biology that means x, x and x Y chromosomes.

00:07:54:14 - 00:08:33:13

Martha Marvel

But if you talk to anyone who has more than that high school education in biology, we know there is at least 16. It's not 30 different combinations of chromosomes. And we're not even talking about the 1.6 or 7% of the population. That's intersex. So that's ridiculous. Passport restrictions. We have incidences of trans people who are leaving the country who are afraid to come back.

00:08:33:15 - 00:09:20:03

Martha Marvel

There are at least six countries that have now issued travel warnings in their country for transgender people because of passport restrictions. Schools, censorship, you know, to threaten people with jail and $10,000 fines for talking about trans issues with youth is a third one. Fourth, gender affirming care bans, you know, to limit people. If you are a parent of a trans child and your child was depressed or suicidal.

00:09:20:05 - 00:10:10:12

Martha Marvel

Would you not want the best care available? The best care available includes mental health professionals, medical staff. When the Republicans hold hearings, they bring out, quote, medical experts. Usually they come from a thing called the Association of American Pediatricians and it sounds really impressive. They have all of 1200 members. Opposite them is the American Medical Association with 560,000 members.

00:10:10:14 - 00:10:39:07

Martha Marvel

If you are a trans person or you have a trans child whose advice you want to listen to, politicians and the 1200 people in the American Pediatricians Society know whatever happened to parents rights to care for their children.

00:10:39:09 - 00:11:35:19

Martha Marvel

Next initiative was sports participation bands, and this one needs a lot of discussion. But let's put it in context. The NCAA, a NCAA, has 520,000 members. When asked how many are going to be affected by banning trans people from sports, the head of the NCAA responded ten. This is nuts. It's just nuts. Okay. Military service fans, amazing military people who have been challenged and are not of prison, housing, health care, shelter, federal program, defunding, historical erasure.

00:11:35:21 - 00:12:15:13

Martha Marvel

It goes on and on with the major issues we have in this country with Medicare, Medicaid, housing, food, economics. Laverne Cox put it best. It is not the 1% of the trans community that we have to worry about. It's the 1%. At the other end of the spectrum. Okay. Thank you for being here and continue to support and be open.

00:12:15:15 - 00:12:27:10

Martha Marvel

Thank you for.