Columbus protesters rally as restriction on trans student-athletes passes GA House
A few Columbus residents gathered Friday to “stand against Transgender erasure” at the City Services Center on Macon Road, hearing speeches from community members and leaders who have opposed recent measures from President Donald Trump’s administration.
The protest, organized by local activist group Colgay Pride, came just one day after the Georgia House passed the Riley Gaines Act, which bars transgender individuals from competing against athletes assigned female at birth. The measure passed the House 102-54, with 10 legislators not voting.
The act is named after female swimmer Riley Gaines, who became an advocate for such measures after she competed against Lia Thomas, a transgender swimmer who won an NCAA title.
‘Wave of terror’ for LGBTQ community
The leaders of the Columbus protest, Stella Drocko and Jeremy Scott Hobbs, offered speeches sharing their fears about the current political climate, and the “wave of terror” Hobbs says the recent anti-LGBTQ+ legislation has caused.
In his introductory speech, Hobbs mentioned the “disturbing increase in hate mail, comments, and even death threats.”
He said there is misinformation surrounding the community, saying that the “lies put a target on LGBTQ+ Americans.”
He welcomed Rev. Donna Ward, who led the crowd in prayer and quoted John 3:17, which reads, “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”
Drocko, vice president of Colgay Pride and head of the transgender division, cosigned Hobbs’ message.
She expressed frustration at attacks on her community, which she characterized as “a minority of a minority within a minority.”
She said she believes conservative politicians want “(transgender individuals) to be gone from anywhere we can be seen.”
She directly addressed the current legislation banning trans athletes in sports, referencing an NCAA statistic that reveals there are only 10 transgender athletes out of the 530,000 competing at that level. This is less than 0.002% of the total NCAA student-athlete population.
Local Drag performer Brian Hopkins, otherwise known as Monica Alexander, mentioned the Stonewall Uprising and called Drocko “the Marsha P. Johnson” of Columbus.
The main concern of the speakers, and many other Americans, was the fear of losing civil rights and how to exist in the face of anti-trans sentiment.
The conversation about civil rights
Georgia is among the most recent states to introduce anti-trans legislation. House Bill 267, the Riley Gaines Act, was just passed in the Georgia House and awaits a Senate vote.
The ACLU is tracking 456 anti-LGBTQ bills in U.S. state legislatures affecting the trans community, which makes up less than 1% of the American population, according to a Newsweek poll.
The message of the protest, and from everyone the Ledger-Enquirer spoke to, expressed the desire to be understood and accepted.
Thoughts on this issue? Email me at srose@ledger-enquirer.com or find me on Instagram.
This story was originally published February 28, 2025 at 3:16 PM.
