Each November 20th, Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR) is observed by the Trans and allied community around the world who gather in memory of those lost to violence and hate during the previous year.
In these memorials—both secular and those of faith—the names of our dead are spoken in reverent and solemn tones, the memorials perhaps followed by educational workshops or receptions. This year will reflect the 13th Annual TDOR, which was first observed in 1999 to reflect the murder of Rita Hester, a Trans woman whose 1998 slaying has never been solved. In the past three years, over 500 Trans-identified individuals have been murdered as documented by the Trans Murder Monitoring Project.
Not surprisingly, the Trans community experiences particular bullying and hate from fundamentalist, conservative organizations. These hate groups, such as the Traditional Values Coalition use such tactics as portraying Trans women as ‘men in dresses’ and ‘bathroom predators’ whose purpose of transition is to assault women and children in public restrooms. The sole purpose of these tactics is to convince local, state and federal legislators and voters that Trans-identified people are a menace to society.
But equally disturbing is the tendency within oppressed communities to oppress others within them. Trans women face marginalization by a vocal minority of non-Trans lesbians. We are referred to as ‘castrated men’—excluded from “womyn-born-womyn” events and Trans men are labeled tools of Trans women evoking a so-called male privilege.
Further, there are some in the Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual community who still use the term ‘tranny’ which is widely viewed as insulting in that it caricaturizes a Trans woman as less than human and denies her identity as a woman. One outcome of such marginalizing behavior is that it leads to a non-acceptance of Trans people by creating a perception that they are subhuman and abnormal.
The hate groups—our true enemies—then use this non-acceptance to further their cause, using the premise that Trans people are not accepted by Gays and Lesbians. Others use that non-acceptance in their rationale that it is acceptable to kill Trans people because they are deemed non-human.
It is apparent that the Trans Community is not fully understood by all in the LGB Community. What is needed is a clear and succinct comprehension of what it is like to be Trans—what our issues are, our role in the fight in the Equality / Trans Equality Movements—and our perception on how we fit (or don't fit) in the overall community. Only by that understanding and visibility will we find complete acceptance not only by our haters, but by those in the overall community as well.
I invite those of the LGB and Allied communities to join the Trans community in a TDOR Memorial or during Trans Awareness Days at venues and campuses in your area. Share in our loss and learn of our sorrow, while learning more of our community.
BY: ROBYN CAROLYN MONTAGUE
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