Teen Trans Activist Jude to Grand Marshal Denver Pride Parade

The Coors Light Denver Pride Parade typically serves as the centerpiece of Denver PrideFest, attracting more than 100,000 spectators each year.

Unfortunately, due to continued size limits on public gatherings, the parade will once again take place virtually. However, viewers can still expect one hell of a show.

Representatives from the Juneteenth Music Festival, frontline workers, and a 15-year-old transgender activist from Boulder named Jude will serve as this year’s grand marshals. This diverse group was chosen to lead the parade based on their cultural, political, and humanitarian contribution.

OFM had the pleasure of connecting with Jude, who has worked with Colorado and federal legislators to create bills that will allow transgender human rights. She helped pass the aptly named Jude’s Law, which went into effect January 2020, and teaches LGBTQ youth how to use their voices and share their stories with others.

How excited are you to be a grand marshal this year for Denver’s Pride parade?
I am super excited! It is such an honor. I wish we could be together in person, but I am still grateful I get to be the grand marshal of such a significant event that brings our community together.

What does Pride mean to you?
Pride, to me, means being yourself and being proud of your community as a whole. It brings LGBTQ members together and shows that nobody is ever alone.

You have accomplished so much with your activism and worked with Colorado legislators to pass Jude’s Law. Can you tell us exactly what this bill does?
Jude’s Law allows transgender people to change their birth certificate without it saying “amended” or having to go through medical procedures that individuals may not want or may not be able to afford. It also added an ‘X’ option for nonbinary people.

Are you working on seeing a similar bill passed at a federal level?
Over the past year, it has been pretty hard due to COVID to get a federal bill created. However, I recently reached back out to Senator Bennet to continue working on some version of Jude’s Law that would be presented at the federal level. It is a difficult process since the birth certificate is a state document and is not federally regulated. We are looking at some workarounds right now, utilizing passports. I am also working on creating a bill to protect physicians that work with transgender youth from being sued and sent to jail simply for seeing these children as patients.

What were you feeling once the bill went into effect?
The day that the law went into effect, I got my new birth certificate. I had some family and friends come with me, and it made me realize how my work is actually making change. It inspired me to keep going and strive to get equal rights for everyone.

How big of an impact do you believe Jude’s Law has already been on the Colorado trans community?
I think that the law has had a pretty big impact, especially on our youth. I have received quite a few images and notes from kids who have gotten theirs changed. If I am being honest, these types of things keep me going with my advocacy work. It also shows the community that the government supports them.

You have been lobbying for transgender rights since you were nine years old. When did you first begin to realize that you were different?
I have always felt different. However, when I was young, I did not know what it meant. One day, I was sitting in the living room and told my sister and my mom that I felt more like a girl than a boy. She went through a list of definitions before arriving at the word transgender; I remember feeling like that word fit me perfectly.

Has your family always been supportive?
My whole family was extremely supportive, which I am very fortunate and grateful for. They helped me through my transition and never judged me for living as my true self.

How do you respond to people who say that children are too young to know what they are and this is just a phase?
I think that it is important that we listen to the voices of young people and trust them to know who they are and what they want. I think we often write children off because they are “too young” to truly know themselves, but I don’t think that this is true. We need to listen to what they have to say.

What more do you hope to do to teach LGBTQ youth how to use their voices and share their stories with others?
I am hoping to create an app that could connect trans youth with each other, and help them learn how to tell their stories, make change, and be proud of who they are. I want to create a space where kids can start their advocacy work and make change. I am also hoping to visit more schools to help educate our youth and hopefully inspire them to start advocating.

Is there any way for people to follow your journey and activism?
As of right now, the best way to keep up with my advocacy is looking for me in articles and things like that. Eventually, I would like to have a space containing all my past and current work!

Is there anything else you would like to add or mention?
I would just like to say, Happy Pride! I am so proud of our community and how far we have come!

The broadcast of The Coors Light Denver Pride Parade will premiere at 10:35 p.m. on Saturday, June 26 on Denver7. It will stream afterward on the Denver7+ app, DenverPride.org, the Denver Pride Facebook Page, and the Center on Colfax YouTube Channel. 

Photos Courtesy of Jude