Today is November 20th, Transgender Day of Remembrance.
Since 1999 the Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR), a day to remember those trans people who have been victims of murder, or driven to suicide because of transphobia, takes place every November. The TDOR raises public awareness of hate crimes against trans people, provides a space for public mourning and honours the lives of those trans people who might otherwise be forgotten.
Sadly, this year there are 271 trans persons to be added to the list to be remembered, mourned and honoured. Source: Transgender Murder Monitoring Project.
Natalie Bennett, Leader of the Green Party has said;
“Today is a day to remember, mourn and honour the 271 trans persons murdered in the past year.It is an absolute outrage that so many transgender people across the world have been killed this year simply for being who they are. The violence against transgender people remains under-reported and under-aknowledged and we must redouble our efforts for justice and equality for the trans community. It is tragic that this issue should be highlighted today by the death of Vicky Thompson, a young transgender woman who was sent to a male prison. That occurred even after the justice system acknowledged recently the grave error of sending Tara Hudson to a male prison, after a public outcry at which the Green Party was at the forefront.”
Green Party MP, Caroline Lucas said;
“The trans community in Britain continues to face discrimination and violence.
It’s outrageous that so many transgender people across the world have been killed this year simply for being who they are. The only fitting response to such tragedy is to redouble our efforts for justice and equality for the trans community. That is why here in Britain we must work harder to battle discrimination in the media, our workplaces and indeed in schools.
Transphobia is not inevitable, nor is it unbeatable. I look forward to continue working with trans activists and allies to continue the fight for real equality.”
National Chair of LGBTIQ Greens, Aimee Challenor, who herself is a young trans woman, said;
“The transgender community face many struggles, and the fact that we are still being killed, just for being who we are, is appalling. In 2014 on Transgender Day of Remembrance, we remembered 226 people who were murdered, and this year’s number is higher.
We also remember those who committed suicide as a result of transphobia, notable names in the last year include Leelah Alcorn and Zander Mahaffey. Both of these trans people were young, Leelah was 17, Zander was 15.
In 2014 a PACE survey found that 48% of trans people under 26 said they had attempted suicide, while 59% said they had at least considered doing so. By comparison, about 6% of all 16- to 24-year-olds say they have attempted suicide, according to the Adult Psychiatry Morbidity Survey. The Pace research also found 59% of transgender youth said they had deliberately hurt themselves, compared with 8.9% of all 16- to 24-year-olds.
As a transgender young woman, these statistics apply to someone my age. It is terrifying knowing that so many people are ending their lives and being murdered because transphobia is still rampant in our society”
Leader of Welsh Green Party – Pippa Bartolotti spoke in regards to supporting those outside of the Gender Binary;
“Conventional gender identity labels do not describe the society we truly are. More sagacious societies allow for more than 2 tightly defined genders, and this wisdom frees them from discrimination, ignorance and conflict. In a modern and compassionate society we accept every individual freely, honestly and openly, for the value they bring to our lives and our communities. That’s the Green way.”
Molly Scott Cato, one of our Green MEPs added “The recent example of Tara Hudson, a woman from Bath who was forced to serve her prison sentence in a men’s prison, demonstrates how pervasive is the oppression of transgender people in our society. The statistics show that the failure to understand the needs of transgender people is leading to widespread distress and loss of life and Transgender Day of Remembrance is an opportunity to pay respects to those who have lost their lives because of their Gender Identity. As a society and in our communities we need to work much harder to welcome and accept people’s life choices and self-determined identities.”