Ash Franzetti, 42, a trans woman from Greensburg, waved happily to cars passing by the Westmoreland County Courthouse on Saturday afternoon as they honked in support.
She also took it in stride when the occasional car would offer some disrespectful cursing or a motorcyclist offered an extended middle finger.
Franzetti said members of the LGBTQ-plus community want to be seen as simply that — members of the community.
“We’re your neighbors, friends, churchgoers, just like everyone else,” said Franzetti, who heads up the Queer Westmoreland organization.
She was joined by a group of between 20 and 30 people during the first hour of the Pride Month protest, sponsored by her organization and Rally Westmoreland.
“I just felt like people needed a voice,” she said. “(President Donald) Trump is taking away rights for trans people, and, here in Pennsylvania, the Senate just passed a trans athlete ban. So our representatives from Westmoreland need to know we won’t stand by and let this happen.”
Later in the afternoon, she read a “people’s proclamation” in celebration of Pride Month.
“Our county commissioners issue proclamations for all sorts of other things, but they wouldn’t issue one for Pride Month, so we’ll do it,” Franzetti told the group assembled outside the courthouse.
Linda Walker, a Fayette County resident, was in attendance with her cousin.
“We’re both allies,” she said. “This community feels very minimized with the actions of the current administration.”
In addition to Saturday’s event, Rally Westmoreland is planning a protest and rally in conjunction with national “All of Us: Truth, Equality & Freedom” events taking place in cities across the country. It will be from noon to 2 p.m. June 27, also at the courthouse in downtown Greensburg.