Today, November 20th, is the 24th annual Transgender Day of Remembrance1. On this day we remember, and celebrate the lives of, those in our community lost to violence, whether it be external, or self-inflicted.
I want to especially highlight the loss of transgender lives due to suicide. The media concentrate on the often graphic tales of murders of transgender people, such as Brianna Ghey2 in the UK this past year. And yes, the murders are horrific. But less often discussed in the media is the fact of how many of us are lost to suicide, usually due to a lack of family and societal support, or downright hostility.
The suicide attempt rate among transgender persons ranges from 32% to 50% across the countries. Gender-based victimization, discrimination, bullying, violence, being rejected by the family, friends, and community; harassment by intimate partner, family members, police and public; discrimination and ill treatment at health-care system are the major risk factors that influence the suicidal behavior among transgender persons.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5178031/
And when the suicide rate is covered in the media, it is used as evidence that we are mentally ill, and don’t deserve to live our lives as we see fit. As a white transgender woman, I am relatively insulated against the worst of society’s animosity toward trans people. Even so, I did once consider suicide, shortly after losing the first, and greatest, supporter of me as Janet. Certainly grief played a part in that “long dark night of the soul3“. But knowing that I must face transition alone, against an ever worsening hatred of people like me, also played a significant role.
In 2023, anti-trans bills continue to be introduced across the country. We track legislation that seeks to block trans people from receiving basic healthcare, education, legal recognition, and the right to publicly exist.
https://translegislation.com/
Society in general, and particularly in the United States, has a long way to go before we can live up to the promise of “equal rights for all4.” Other countries are much worse even than the US.
Almost three-quarters (73%) of those tracked happened in Latin America and the Caribbean, with the epicentre of the problem being in Brazil, where nearly one-third (31%) occurred.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamiewareham/2023/11/13/beaten-stabbed-and-shot-320-trans-people-murdered-in-2023/?sh=239215531646
On this solemn day, I ask you who are allies to the trans community to take a moment to reflect on what you can do to help the community be a bit more accepted, a bit less hated, and how you can show us that we are indeed loved, and accepted, just as we are. My blessings and love to all of you who are our allies. Let your voices be heard.
- GLAAD – Transgender Day of Remembrance https://glaad.org/tdor/ ↩︎
- Killing of Brianna Ghey – Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killing_of_Brianna_Ghey ↩︎
- Dark Night of the Soul – Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_Night_of_the_Soul ↩︎
- U.S. Constitution – Fourteenth Amendment ↩︎
An Aging Trans Woman 
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I wish this candle had the appropriate colors on it, but my spirit is the same. Take good care, and we’ll keep up the work for equality.
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