Honouring those killed due to anti-trans violence
Tuesday, Nov. 20 is Trans Day of Remembrance (TDOR). Transgender is an umbrella term that describes a person whose gender does not match the expectations associated with the sex assigned to that person at birth. The day honours those who have died from anti-trans violence.
GLAAD is a media-based advocacy organization whose main goal is to rewrite the false narrative on the LGBTQ+ community through acceptance. According to the GLAAD website, TDOR’s inaugural day was in 1999 when advocate Gwendolyn Ann Smith organized a vigil in honour of Rita Hester, who was murdered in 1998, and others whose lives have been lost to transphobic violence.
This will be the first year the Canadian federal government recognizes the day, as Bill 74 was passed in Dec. 2017 which enacted the day and requires a minute of silence to be held in the legislatures nationwide.
Multiple reports find that violence and harassment in the trans community occurs at an alarming rate. These findings also have intersectional implications; trans people of colour are at an even higher risk.
The Trans PULSE project, a research project done at Western University in 2015, highlights the violence and discrimination towards people who identify as trans. The research shows 96 per cent of trans individuals have heard people claim they are abnormal and 73 per cent have been made fun of for their identity.
The researchers found that 20 per cent of trans individuals have been physically or sexually assaulted and 34 per cent have been verbally threatened or harassed. Many of these incidents are not reported to the police, which is not surprising considering 24 per cent of trans individuals surveyed had been harassed by police officers.
People identifying as trans face discrimination both in the workplace and by medical professionals. Twenty-eight per cent of trans individuals were fired or suspect they were fired because they were trans. Half of those surveyed believe they were turned down for a job because of their identity.
While this is no longer legal, as gender identity and gender expression were added to the Canada Human Rights Act, structural barriers still exist. Many trans Ontarians have trouble getting references and transcripts with the correct name and sex designation. This forces individuals to be out to employers up front.
Receiving medical care can be difficult for trans individuals. Ten per cent of trans individuals in the PULSE project had their ER care stopped or denied. Forty per cent have experienced discriminatory behaviour from their family doctors, which includes refusal of care and being ridiculed.
The impacts of discrimination and transphobic acts of violence are significant within the trans community. Many trans folks will avoid public spaces and health care because of safety concerns. Additionally, those in the trans community have high unemployment rates and experience high levels of mental health issues, such as depression and suicide.
Violence and discrimination against the trans community has resulted in numerous deaths. Taking a day to remember the lives lost is extremely important. It is also a time to progress as a society, so that fewer lives are needlessly lost because of transphobia.
Illustration by Cara Aitchison