Transgender Day of Remembrance
So it’s Transgender Day of Remembrance today.
It’s hard to put into words how this day makes me feel. I have a few issues with it, but it also stirs up many feelings. Remorse definitely that so many people have lost their lives and the number is growing rather than reducing.
But also anger. That people are still being killed just for being themselves. Especially intersectional trans people, primarily trans people of colour.
My only issue is solely that we don’t include suicides in that number. When I think of trans people I have known that have lost their lives and trans people that could have been saved if they just had a little more acceptance from society. Those people should be included – society is complicit in their deaths.
The 325 (estimated) people that have lost their lives to violence against trans people is 325 too many. But if you include people that have been persecuted or ostracised by families, the media, colleagues or other members of the public and arguably driven to suicide that number would double. Or probably more.
Are they any less a victim than someone who was physically assaulted by another?
We’ve had a constant media barrage of misinformation and ‘experts’ on being trans who clearly have no frame of reference. This is what makes me angry. There is a debate *today* on Radio 4 about our right to existence *again*. 364 other days in the year, but they choose today to air this debate when we are mourning the lives lost to transphobic violence.
Thankfully we have cisgender allies standing up with us today – but our battle isn’t just about today. It’s constant. It’s every single day for the rest of our lives.
One of our local heroes in Reading, Oscar Wilde, is attributed to the following quote:
“Be yourself; everyone else is taken.”
That is all trans people are trying to do. So if you count yourself as a trans ally (and I’d like to think that many of the people on my friends list are) then *be* a trans ally.
Don’t just sit there and nod. Stand up, be counted, challenge all the crap that is coming around in the media. Challenge your friends when they say something transphobic, educate them if required. Share content (this post is public), ask how you can help. A passive ally is better than nothing but an active ally is amazing.
I often say it is very easy to hate an idea – but it is very hard to hate a person. The more allies we have being active around trans issues the more chance we have to bring that number down next year. The more lives we can save and the more trans people able to live their lives without having to feel like every single day is a battle just to exist.
And I’ll finish with a movie quote from one of my favourite films, which seems eerily appropriate:
“Who honors those we love for the very life we live? Who sends monsters to kill us, and at the same time sings that we will never die? Who teaches us what’s real and how to laugh at lies? Who decides why we live and what we’ll die to defend? Who chains us? And who holds the key that can set us free… It’s you. You have all the weapons you need. Now fight!”
- LGBT Officer