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Transgender Day of Remembrance in Croydon

Trans murder victims will be remembered at an event for trans people and their allies in Croydon on Saturday, November 22.

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THE REMEMBRANCE ceremony will take place at 2pm on the first floor of the Central Library in Croydon, when a candle will be lit for each person murdered, just because they were transgender, during the previous twelve months.

Fr Geoffrey Thompson (Anglican) and Rev Art Lester (Unitarian) will read the names of the victims. Many of the victims are unidentified and die unmarked but the murders are vicious and all too common. Some, probably most, are not reported or recorded.

Everyone is invited to lay flowers at the memorial placed outside for the event.

This will be followed by an informal social and buffet, in Croydon Museum.

As a living memorial, spring bulbs have been planted, this year, at St Stephen’s Thornton Heath.

The event is organised by TransPals the local trans group (www.transpals.org.uk) and Aurora, Croydon’s LGBT police forum (www.aurora-croydon.org.uk).

For full details of this and other local events, click here:  

Everyone is welcome to meet informally over lunch before the ceremony in the Clocktower Café, Katherine Street from 1pm.

 

Devon community groups team up to mark Transgender Day of Remembrance

The Torbay-based transgender organisation, Transfigurations is teaming up with the social enterprise Proud2Be Project to host a one-off event to mark this year’s Transgender Day of Remembrance.

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THE EVENT, sponsored by Devon & Cornwall Police and Torbay and South Devon Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, will be held on Thursday, November 20, 6.45pm at The Horizon Centre, Torbay Hospital, Torquay.

A candlelit vigil will be held to memorialize those transgender people who have lost their lives due to transphobic hate crime this year. This will be preceded by a short film created by Transfigurations and followed by the showing of the film “A Girl Like Me: The Gwen Araujo Story” – the moving and award winning film about the life of a transgender woman. A light buffet will also be available at the start of the event.

Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDoR) was founded in 1998 by Gwendolyn Ann Smith, to memorialize the murder of Rita Hester in Allston, Massachusetts. Since its inception, TDoR has slowly evolved from the web-based project started by Smith into an international day of action. TDoR is held annually on 20 November to highlight the losses the transgender community face, due to anti-transgender bigotry and violence. In 2010, TDoR was observed in over 185 cities throughout more than 20 countries.

Transfigurations was founded two years ago to help transgender people with any problems that they might be experiencing before, during and after transition and to campaign for fairer treatment of transgender people in their healthcare and in the media.  Besides active web forums where people can seek support, Transfigurations runs a busy telephone support line and also hosts regular meetings where transgender people can meet in a safe and friendly environment.

TransfigurationsCarol, the founder of Transfigurations, said: “Transgender people have existed since the dawn of mankind and in some cultures, transgender people are revered, yet in western society we are stigmatised and held to ridicule for simply wanting to be true to ourselves.  Thankfully attitudes are now starting to change to one of far greater acceptance by most fair minded people.”

Proud2Be, which was recently shortlisted, down to the final five for a National Diversity Award, began three years ago when the gay identical twin brothers, sat in front of their web cam and recorded a short video. In the video, they explained how they are both “proud to be gay”. Since then a number of high profile LGBT figures have contributed to the international campaign including Stephen Fry.

As well as running the campaign, Proud2Be holds a number of social events in South Devon, hosts Totnes’ yearly Pride event, has their own community radio show, facilitates workshops and provides consultancy to a number of organisations across the UK.

Earlier this year, the grassroots organisation announced details of further high profile support, when they named Peter Tatchell, Christine Burns MBE, Aderonke Apata and Andrew Solomon as their patrons. Next year, Proud2Be will launch a Devon-wide Youth Service and open the first rural LGBT community hub in South Devon.

Mat Price
Mat Price

Proud2Be co-founder Mat said: “Transphobia and the effects it can have on an individual and a community, is devastating- you only need to look at the statistics to know this is the case. We are thrilled to be working with Transfigurations, to honour those we have lost and to raise awareness about transphobic hate crime.”

The event is free to attend and open to everyone.

For more information about Transfigurations, click here:

For more information about Proud2Be, click here:

 

 

International Transgender Day of Remembrance

Today is the 16th International Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR).

Transgender Day Of Remembrance

TDOR IS HELD every year on November 20 to remember and honour those who have been killed due to transphobic violence and discrimination across the globe.

The event is held in November to honor Rita Hester, whose murder on November 28, 1998 was the catalyst for the creation of the ‘Remembering Our Dead’ web project and a San Francisco candlelight vigil in 1999. Rita Hester’s murder — like most anti-transgender murder cases — has yet to be solved.

Although not every person represented during TDOR self-identifies as transgender — that is, as a transsexual, crossdresser, or otherwise gender-variant — each is a victim of violence based on bias against transgender people.

Over the last decade, more than one person per month has died due to transgender-based hate or prejudice, regardless of any other factors in their lives. This trend shows no sign of abating.

TDOR raises public awareness of hate crimes against transgender people, an action that current media fails to highlight.

TDOR publicly mourns and honours the lives of brothers, sisters, friends and colleagues who might otherwise be forgotten.

The vigil helps everyone express love and respect for trans people in the face of national indifference and hatred.

The Day of Remembrance reminds non-transgender people that trans people are their sons, daughters, parents, friends and lovers and gives allies of the trans community a chance to remember those lives lost and memorialise those who’ve died from anti-transgender violence.

Dr Greg Ussher
Dr Greg Ussher

Dr Greg Ussher, METRO Chief Executive said: “All METRO staff and volunteers will be taking time today to remember all those we have lost to transphobic violence and discrimination. We know that over the last year at least 226 trans people have been killed and we remember also those who have taken their own lives.

“Our Youth Chances research evidence shows that overwhelmingly trans young people face the most discrimination, disadvantage, abuse and violence. We are currently further analysing our data on trans young people’s experiences and we are pleased to have nearly 1000 responses from trans young people.  We can see that across the board; at school, in their health and wellbeing and their safety the consistent pattern is that trans young people are faring worse.  We know that 44% of LGBTQ young people have thought about suicide but this rises considerably for trans respondents.

“Gender diversity is a real and great challenge for society which would should celebrate.   Protection in the law is increasing for trans people albeit that there is still a long way to go, but understanding, awareness and attitudes need to catch up more quickly to save lives, stop the violence and embrace gender diversity.”

Transgender Day of Remembrance, Brighton

TDOR will be remembered in Brighton & Hove with an event at the Dorset Gardens Methodist Church, Dorset Gardens, Kemptown on Sunday, November 23, at 3pm. Arrive at 2.45pm or a little earlier so the proceedings can start promptly.

The vigil will include speakers from the community and singing by the Rainbow Chorus. Attendees will be asked to ‘build’ the wall of remembrance by placing the names of the dead on the wall.

The vigil will also include a minute’s applause to acknowledge those who have died. Refreshments will be available immediately afterwards at the venue followed by a relaxed social at the nearby Marlborough pub.

To view the Remembering our Dead Web Project, click here:

For more information about Transgender Day of Remembrance, click here:

Payton Edgar’s Agony to help Sussex Cancer Fund

 

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Local author Matthew Seal’s novel, Payton Edgar’s Agony, will be released through the Amazon Kindle store on November 20. 

Matthew is a trained nurse who has worked in the Sussex Cancer Centre for 15 years. Currently working in the outpatient clinic department, he has also worked in both the chemotherapy department and the inpatient unit, Howard One.  He has been writing seriously for 10 years, and in 2011 was a runner up in the Sussex New Writers Awards. It was for this competition that he created the character of food critic, Payton Edgar.

The proceeds of the book, the first in a series of novels featuring the sleuthing restaurant critic, will go to the Sussex Cancer Fund to obtain new equipment for the Sussex Cancer Centre.

London, 1962. Renowned London restaurant critic Payton Edgar is more accustomed to eating from plates than spinning them, and yet this is just what he finds himself doing after agreeing to stand in for the London Evening Clarion’s Agony Aunt. While an Aunt of a different kind causes misery for him on the home front, a disturbing letter to the column soon embroils Mr Edgar in a murder plot.

Can he solve the mystery of Capstick and Clay before his spinning plates come crashing down?

Payton Edgar’s Agony can be purchased for the Kindle at £1.60.

To purchase the book click here.

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