Sydney’s Inner West Council To Commemorate Transgender Day of Remembrance
Image: Inner West Councillor, Liz Atkins (Centre), to introduce a motion for council to endorse a Trans Day of Resistance Rally. Image: Councillor Liz Atkins, Damun/Stanmore Ward, Inner West Council/ Facebook
The upcoming Inner West Council meeting anticipates a notice of motion, requesting council to further commemorate international Transgender Day of Remembrance this November.
The motion created by councillor, Liz Atkins, requests council provide endorsement to community groups, to further commemorate and support the trans community.
Atkin’s motion aims for council to endorse the upcoming Trans Day of Resistance Rally, to be held within the LGA, and extend plans to fly the Trans Flag at Town Hall sites.
Commitment To Future Plans
The international day of remembrance is held on November 20 ever year. The day is observed to memorialise trans people who died from transphobic attacks, and raise public awareness to the ongoing issues effecting transgender people.
The day follows Transgender Awareness Week, during November 13-19 (2023), celebrating trans communities and encourages trans inclusivity.
Inner West Council have previously supported the decision to fly the Trans Flag at Town Halls across the local government area on the remembrance day. Additionally, the council will change lighting at the Camperdown Memorial Rest Park to the flag colours, pink, blue and white, during Trans Awareness Week.
Recognising the council’s initial plans, Cr Atkin’s latest motion requests a further commitment to the flying the Trans Flag throughout the awareness week and through to Trans resistance rallies every year.
The motion also requests council endorse and promote the upcoming Trans Resistance Rallies this year, through the Inner West Council’s own social media channels.
Increase In Transphobic Attacks
Within the background for the motion, Cr Atkins notes that “violence against trans people is on the rise around the world.”
In the UK , “hate crimes against transgender people … saw a 56% increase between 2021 and 2022,” stated the motion. Additionally, 2022 was the most violent year on record for LGBTQI+ people in Europe, with violence being more frequent and severe.
“Here in Australia, the past year has seen an escalation in both hate speech and physical violence towards the trans community,” the motion continued.
The motion further recognises the significance of Sydney and Newtown community participation during past Trans Day of Visibility and Trans Day of Resistance marches, with over 3,000 people marching on King earlier in the year.
Cr Atkin’s motion continues to recognise the upcoming commemorative days as an opportunity “to stand with trans people in the struggle for rights” – with organisational endorsement being a evident method of support.
The motion is expected to be discussed during the next Inner Council Meeting, on Tuesday, October 10.
National Trans Day of Resistance Rally
On November 25, a Trans Day of Resistance March and Rally is expected to be held at Newtown’s Pride Square.
The Sydney rally is being organised by action group Pride In Protest, with other grassroots groups expected to hold their own respective rallies in other major cities on the day.
Pride In Protest is encouraging all queer and trans people, and allies to join in the “rebuke of discrimination and vilification, and take a stand for trans rights, liberation and life.”
Inner West Labor voted my motion down and replaced it with their own which while it still provides for flags, does not endorse or agree to promote the rally. Seems some of the demands were too much for the majority