Today is the day we remember with sadness and horror the lives of transgender women and men, mostly women, who have been subject to so much homophobia and hatred that they were murdered.Obliterated because the person holding the gun, the knife or wielding the fist or blunt object could not see the person in front of them as a person,they could only objectify them and dwell on their perceived "wrongness" until they did the unthinkable. This memorial day started as an online gathering,I just read the TDoR is observed in over 185 cities in more than 20 countries, that's great, support and awareness are growing.
Today I stand with all the other transgender folk and their families and friends against this irrational fear and dehumanization that somehow gets into peoples heads loud enough that they think they can justify ridiculing, hurting , bashing, sexually assaulting and even murdering people whose outward gender expression doesn't match their expectation of how THEY think things should be.
Here in Australia things are not as bad on the murder front, but discrimination, bashings , yes, it happens here too.
The Tranznation survey was conducted this year by the La trobe University, is a report on the Health and Well being of Transgender people in Australia and NZ.The results are pretty predictable really. Overall the participants had poorer health ratings than the general population and the rate of depression was much higher , in fact one in four people reported suicidal thoughts in the two weeks before they completed the survey. 87.4%)had experienced at least one form of discrimination because of their presenting gender. A THIRD had been threatened with violence and almost the same number had received lesser treatment due to their name or sex on documents such as ID and almost a third had been refused employment or promotion. Just under a quarter had been refused services and 19% had been physically attacked. These numbers are just way too high. Australia has made some great inroads with anti-discrimitaion laws, the new passport law etc, but there is a hell of a long way to go, especially in the area of healthcare And we need to keep educating the public. Recently I saw Chas Bono on Dancing with the Stars in the USA and I was so disappointed to see some of the hue and cry against him being on the show. One comment was and angry tirade which basically boiled down to "thanks a lot,I shouldn't have to explain transgender to my children!!!"
well ...duh! I thought, but she was truly upset that she had to think about it at all.
So today I take a minute to think about how far we've come, how far we still have to go to get true equality and that these young men and women deaths are remembered .They are all someones sons, daughters, brothers ,sisters and lovers and unfortunately those murdered were often killed by members of their own families.
My wish is for all transgendered kids to be able to have a family photo like this
Today I stand with all the other transgender folk and their families and friends against this irrational fear and dehumanization that somehow gets into peoples heads loud enough that they think they can justify ridiculing, hurting , bashing, sexually assaulting and even murdering people whose outward gender expression doesn't match their expectation of how THEY think things should be.
Here in Australia things are not as bad on the murder front, but discrimination, bashings , yes, it happens here too.
The Tranznation survey was conducted this year by the La trobe University, is a report on the Health and Well being of Transgender people in Australia and NZ.The results are pretty predictable really. Overall the participants had poorer health ratings than the general population and the rate of depression was much higher , in fact one in four people reported suicidal thoughts in the two weeks before they completed the survey. 87.4%)had experienced at least one form of discrimination because of their presenting gender. A THIRD had been threatened with violence and almost the same number had received lesser treatment due to their name or sex on documents such as ID and almost a third had been refused employment or promotion. Just under a quarter had been refused services and 19% had been physically attacked. These numbers are just way too high. Australia has made some great inroads with anti-discrimitaion laws, the new passport law etc, but there is a hell of a long way to go, especially in the area of healthcare And we need to keep educating the public. Recently I saw Chas Bono on Dancing with the Stars in the USA and I was so disappointed to see some of the hue and cry against him being on the show. One comment was and angry tirade which basically boiled down to "thanks a lot,I shouldn't have to explain transgender to my children!!!"
well ...duh! I thought, but she was truly upset that she had to think about it at all.
So today I take a minute to think about how far we've come, how far we still have to go to get true equality and that these young men and women deaths are remembered .They are all someones sons, daughters, brothers ,sisters and lovers and unfortunately those murdered were often killed by members of their own families.
My wish is for all transgendered kids to be able to have a family photo like this
I apologise for this being a little hard on the eyes to read, but for some reason it was this or blank white boxes. blogroll and popular posts are riiiiight down the bottom at the moment till I can sort why the pics are being covered up by them all of a sudden............sigh......
ReplyDeleteGreat photo. I love it when straight people inform me about something I should know about.
ReplyDeleteI'd never heard of International Transgender Remembrance Day.
ReplyDeleteHopefully we'll one day live in a world where people don't think everything has to be "explained".
Thank you for sharing more pictures of your lovely family :)
great family photo! I hope that one day, soon, we can all just be considered "people" and not this kind or that kind of person. As for Chaz Bono, why on earth does anyone have to explain anything about his gender to kids? He's a guy. Dancing. Weird.
ReplyDeleteSuch a wonderful family and such a wonderful family photo! Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteGOD yes. Someday everyone will just be a person. Without regard to gender, color, or other things that don't matter.
ReplyDeleteYou have a beautiful family, the little shorty in the front is just beautiful.
And I know what you mean about all the medical stuff taking a toll. I've aged about 10 years in the last two.
(((Hugs))
Thank you for bringing this to our attention.
ReplyDeleteAnd I LOVE the family photo.
Thanks Andrew :)
ReplyDeleteFruitcake, same, dont think I'm going to see it in my lifetime though :(
I love photos, I kinda presume everyone else does too hahaha .I'm THAT aunty with the slide night!!!
Portia, exactly..I had to stop reading,was making me so mad!
Twlight: thankyou , wanna see more? hahaha
Ami: that someday will be wonderful, a long time coming though :( Thankyou, this is my niece Molly,she is gorgeous and funny, her mother, my baby sister is behind her, my middle sister is all in black with 2 of her daughters on either side.Her other daughter and her baby girl couldn't come or we would have had all the women on our side in the one pic.((hugback))
Dina, Hi haven't caught up with you in ages, thanks, i love it too :)
Lovely sentiments, and lovely family.
ReplyDeletePearl
It's amazing how the choices of one person can somehow bring about irrational anger and horrific violence in another.
ReplyDeleteThink about it...if we all had to walk around wearing signs to describe ourselves, my sign would be too large to carry and my gender, along with my race would be pretty damn far down the list.
We are all so much more than just that. We are individuals and should be celebrated as such, each and every one of us.
This is a great posting I have read. I like your article.
ReplyDelete