Tackling transphobia

This Saturday is International Transgender Day of Remembrance — held to remember victims of transphobic prejudice and raise awareness of hate crimes against transgender people around the world.

The day was created to honour American transwoman Rita Hester, whose 1998 murder inspired the ‘Remembering Our Dead’ online project and a San Francisco candlelight vigil.

In Sydney, International Transgender Day of Remembrance is being marked by the Sydney ISGD (Intersex, sex and/or gender diverse) Collective with a workshop by Dr Tracie O’Keefe and a performance night hosted by Regrette Etcetera at Chippendale’s Serial Space.

A 2007 study on transgender issues by La Trobe University showed that acceptance of transpeople in Australia has a long way to go. 87.4 percent of respondents experienced stigma or discrimination, a third had been threatened with violence and 19 percent physically attacked.

Fear of prejudice motivated many to keep their gender identity a secret or express it only in private or safe spaces.

info: Trans Day of Remembrance is on Saturday, November 20 at Serial Space, 33 Wellington St, Chippendale. The workshop is from  11.30am-1.30pm and the performance is from 6-10pm.