12 Months, 221 Murders: Horrifying Numbers a Wake Up Call on Trans Day of Remembrance 2011

Toronto: Fear and hatred have claimed the lives of 221 people around the world since the commemoration of Trans Day of Remembrance in 2010. This year, on November 20, we remember not only the 221 trans and gender diverse individuals who have been murdered in 26 countries over the past year, nor solely the 755 lives we have lost since the Trans Murder Monitoring Project (TMM) began documenting the deaths of trans people in January 2008. Rather, we turn our thoughts as well to the countless trans and gender diverse people whose names we do not know, and whose senseless deaths have passed silently and brutally without acknowledgement and without justice.

Within Canada, trans individuals frequently face discrimination, dramatically affecting their access to basic necessities such as housing, health care, employment and even education. Egale's final report on homophobia, biphobia and transphobia in Canadian schools, Every Class in Every School, revealed that fully 78% of trans students feel unsafe at school, and 44% had skipped school because they feared for their safety. Moreover, 65% of trans students had been verbally harassed because of their gender identity and/or expression, and 37% had been physically harassed or assaulted.

To date, only six countries in the world have enacted legislation to prohibit discrimination based on gender identity. In Canada, the Northwest Territories is the only provincial/territorial jurisdiction to have included "gender identity" in its human rights act, despite repeated calls by human rights commissions across the country for legislators to take action to promote and protect the rights of trans Canadians. Federally, a Private Member's bill to include "gender identity" and "gender expression" in both the Canadian Human Rights Act and the hate crime provisions of the Criminal Code progressed as far as first reading in the Senate this year before it died on the Order Paper with the spring election call.

On November 20, 2011, over 140 cities will mark Trans Day of Remembrance with sombre reflection and an urgent call to action. Hatred grows on fear and it grows on silence, but it cannot grow unless we allow it to. "We call on all Canadians, from coast to coast to coast, to stand in solidarity against fear and against hate," declared Helen Kennedy, Executive Director of Egale Canada. "We cannot allow the continued silence and misinformation about trans lives to carry on unchallenged while violence against the community continues to escalate."

The harrowing numbers from the Trans Murder Monitoring Project require immediate action from our communities, from our schools, and from all levels of government. Transphobic violence and murder are global phenomena and will remain our horrifying reality unless governments and communities around the world organize and educate to eradicate transphobia.

For more information:
Helen Kennedy, Egale Canada, 416-964-7887 ext. 21

Events to Commemorate Trans Day of Remembrance 2011 Across Canada

Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Will be holding a Transgender day of Remembrance event on Sunday, November 20, 2011 from 1:30 — 4:30 pm at The Old Y, 223 12 Avenue SW, Calgary, AB

Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Will hold a memorial for the Transgender Day of Remembrance on Sunday, November 20, 2011 from 7-9 pm at the McDougall United Church, 10086-101 Street, Edmonton, AB

Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
Will be holding a Transgender day of Remembrance event Sunday November 20, 2011 2pm — 4 pm, 1206-6 Ave S (Lethbridge HIV Connection) Along with an opportunity to remember lives lost due to transhobia and violence, there will be a round table discussion on issues of safety and violence for trans people. Contact: info@outreachsa.ca or www.outreachsa.ca

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Will be holding a Transgender day of Remembrance event on Sunday, November 20, 2011 from 5:30-8:30 pm. March begins at The Carnegie Community Center. 401 Main St. (corner of Main & Hastings) (Vancouver)

Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
The Nova Scotia Rainbow Action Project will be hosting a Transgender Day of Remembrance vigil on Sunday 20th from 7.00-9.00pm. doors opening at 6.30pm. At Veith House ( 3115 Veith St., Halifax Nova Scotia ) There will be Guest Speakers, Reading of the Names and a Social after. All are Welcome. Contact: Regina Lohnes at tdor.hlfx@gmail.com

Sackville, New Brunswick, Canada
Will be holding a Transgender day of Remembrance on Saturday, November 19, 2011 at 7:00 pm at the Mount Allison University Chapel [15 Salem Street, Sackville, New Brunswick, Canada]. Join us for a candlelight vigil, followed by a screening of "A Girl Like Me: The Gwen Araujo Story", hosted by Catalyst, Mt.A's Queer Straight Trans Alliance and Activist Society. Staff, students, faculty, and community members are welcome. For more information, please contact Amelia at catalyst@mta.ca.

Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
Will be holding a Transgender Day of Remembrance event on Monday, November 21, 2011. There will be a candlelight vigil at the University Pride Center. For more information conact: Emily Striker emilystriker87@gmail.com.

Guelph, Ontario, Canada
Monday, November 21st, 7:30pm at Out On The Shelf, 141 Woolwich St, Unit 106. Presented by the paTio trans support group. For more information contact thepatiogroup@gmail.com

Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Will be hosting a Transgender Day of Remembrance event on Friday, November 18th from 7:00 — 9:00 PM. At the 519 Church Street Community Centre at 519 Church St., Toronto, Ontario, Canada. For more information, please contact Morgan at mpage@the519.org.

Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Will be hosting a Transgender Day of Remembrance event on Monday, November 28th from 6:30 — 8:30 PM. At the William Doo Auditorium, 45 Willcocks St., Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Contact: tig.action.toronto@gmail.com

Egale Canada ©2011

Canada's LGBT human rights organization: advancing equality, diversity, education, and justice.