20th November 2011: 13th International Transgender Day of Remembrance

Every transsexual, white, black, man, woman, rich, poor, is in a state of primary emergency as a transsexual. [Andrea Dworkin in ‘Woman Hating’]

Candle for Transgender Day of RemembranceToday, 20th November 2011, is the 13th International Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDoR). It’s a day when we remember that every day, all over the world, countless TS/TG people are excluded, persecuted, hated, mistreated, subject to aggression and routinely murdered or driven to suicide because of their so-called differences from the cultural stereotypes of what is meant by female and male, woman and man. A system which tolerates and accommodates such hatred, prejudice and bigotry is unacceptable, and must be fought without concession, in the name of its past and present victims, and also in the name of its victims to come.

According to the Trans Murder Monitoring project’s TDoR 2011 update, in the last 12 months at least 221 people – that we know of – have lost their lives to acts of transphobic violence.

Every 38 hours, somewhere in the world, a trans person is murdered.

There are numerous events and vigils being held worldwide to mark this year’s Transgender Day of Remembrance – many are listed on the TDOR website – and I would urge anyone who is able to attend any of these events to do so.

But regardless of anything else, today of all days, please spare a thought for those TS/TG people whose lives have been sacrificed to transphobic bigotry and violence – and maybe ask yourself how anyone who believes in the basic principles of feminism can help in working towards ending transphobic hate crimes.

—————

Cross-posted at Bird of Paradox