Trans Day of Remembrance – 20 November 2020

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So, you may well ask – Alexus, what on earth is Trans Day of Remembrance, and why should we care about it? Good question, glad you asked it.

A bit of history then. Trans Day of Remembrance, or TDoR was started in 1999 by trans advocate Gwendolyne Ann Smith, as a vigil to honour the memory of Rita Hester, a trans woman who was killed in 1998. This initial vigil began an important tradition that has become the annual Transgender Day of Remembrance and commemorates and remembers the trans people lost to violence.

As to why you should care…..

I’ve attached a link to a list of trans people who have lost their lives since 1 October 2019.

https://tdor.translivesmatter.info/reports

I hope that you will see how important this day is to the trans community, and will feel love, compassion and empathy for your fellow human beings.

I would also like to talk in general terms about other issues that are currently affecting trans people, and I think ties in with the overall theme of TDoR.

As a trans person and particularly a trans woman, I feel that my identity, my life, is constantly being questioned, examined and debated. I’m pretty thick skinned but I have never felt so attacked, whether it is via the media or online by individuals and groups. The atmosphere is becoming increasingly toxic, the ‘debate’ more and more heated. It’s all quite depressing at times to be honest.

Should this be concerning to you if you are not trans? Well, putting aside your empathy and compassion, what if someone in your family is struggling with their gender identity and is too scared to speak to someone? What if a friend or loved one is trans and facing abuse on a daily basis, with the knock on negative effect on their general wellbeing?

Where there is a real or perceived hostile atmosphere, no one, let alone a trans person, would feel comfortable or safe. And no one at all wants to live their life feeling like that.

Finally, if you are trans or non-binary and want support or someone to talk to, then please email me at alexussavage@blgbt.org or phone 0121 643 0821.

Thanks for taking the time to read.

Alexus Savage, Trans Wellbeing Support Worker

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