Cllr Bill Randall, the deputy Mayor of Brighton & Hove opened a very well attended community event to mark Transgender Remembrance Day, on Sunday, November 24 at Dorset Gardens Methodist Church in Kemptown.
The event was hosted by Stephanie Jayne Scott from the Clare Project and representatives from all the local Trans* groups were present in a room full of friends and supporters.
Other speakers included the minister from Dorset Gardens Methodist Church and Fox from FTMB.
In his speech the deputy mayor spoke about the number of crimes on Trans* people that still go unrecorded and also how many of the victims represented by the ‘names’ on the wall of remembrance were BME.
A letter was read out from the a Brazilian Trans* person saying how glad they were that the British Trans* community took Transgender Day of Remembrance so seriously and supported the struggle for Trans* rights across the world.
Cllr Warren Morgan leader of the Labour Group read some poetry, the Conservative spokesperson spoke of the need to educate younger people and Cllr Phelim McCafferty spoke of the need for everyone to live their lives without fear.
Representatives of the Trans* community then spoke of personal struggle and empowerment; Ruben from the Transformers Youth Group at Allsorts Youth Project gave an inspiring speech about the strength of the Trans* Community in the city and Sabah from FTM spoke about the multiple forms of oppression Trans* people sufferer from, including misogyny, racism and hatred.
The names of people who have been lost to violence were put up on the Wall of Remembrance accompanied by some gentle music and followed by a minute of applause to recognise the people being remembered.
LGBT Switchboard where on hand to offer support to the distressed and Stephanie Jayne Scott finished off the event, thanking everyone for their support and efforts.
People then retired downstairs to plant some blue, pink and white spring bulbs in Dorset Gardens to represent the Trans* Flag.
A social event followed in the Marlborough.
The mother of Andrea Waddell’s who was murdered in Brighton in 2009 attended as did representatives of Sussex Police and Catherine Vaughan from Brighton & Hove City Council.
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