Thursday, Nov. 20, is the Transgender Day of Remembrance. It is set aside to memorialize those who are killed due to anti-transgender hatred or prejudice. Although not every person represented during the Day of Remembrance identified as transgender, each had violence directed against them for not fitting societal expectations of their gender.
So far this year, there have been 37 documented murders motivated by transphobia. Since that only includes murders that have been reported, that is over three every month. Significantly, all of the reported murders this year have been of transwomen of color, most of whom were also low-income. One murder, of Jessica Mercado, happened in New Haven, Connecticut. She was a 24-year-old transwoman, killed May 9, 2003. Her body was found draped across her mattress in the charred remains of her apartment. She had been stabbed multiple times before the apartment was set on fire. Mercado was laid to rest in her native Puerto Rico. More information can be found at www.gender.org/remember and www.rememberingourdead.org.
While transphobia at Wesleyan has not been known or reported to have killed people, it still exists here in many forms. Luckily, steps can be taken to become a better trans ally. These include, but are certainly not limited to the following:
– Be aware.
– Publicly challenge assumptions.
– Educate yourself.
– Don’t make assumptions about a trans person’s sexual orientation.
– If you don’t know what pronouns to use, ask and actually remember to respect them.
– Be aware of confidentiality, disclosure and outing.
– Don’t assume what path a transperson is on regarding hormones or surgery.
– Don’t police restrooms.
– Don’t just add the T (for transgender) without doing work.
– Listen to trans voices, but do not rely on transpeople to educate you.
– Don’t expect that trying to become a better ally means that you will be applauded for it.
In honor of Day of Remembrance, check out any or all of the following events going on this week.
Bathroom Art Installation. Wednesday-Friday, Campus Center, bottom floor. Vespers. Trans Remembrance Day Memorial Service/Ritual. Wednesday, Nov. 19, 5:30 p.m., Memorial Chapel. Intersections of Race, Class, and Gender. (discussion) Thursday, Nov. 20, noon, Meeting Room 1, top of the Campus Center. Theories in the Flesh: Judith Butler off the Page. (discussion) Friday, November 21, Noon, Meeting Room 1, top of the Campus Center. Screening of Trans Short Films. Friday, Nov. 21, 7 p.m., PAC 001.
Additionally, Gender 101 workshops will be run four times in the two weeks following Thanksgiving break.
Contact trans_gender_group@lyris.wesleyan.edu for more information about on-campus events.
Leave a Reply