In total, since January 2008 the murders of 1,612 trans people have been reported

The 16^th International Transgender Day of Remembrance is being held on November 20^th 2014: Since 1999 the Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR), on which those trans people who have been victims of homicide are remembered, takes place every November. The TDOR raises public awareness of hate crimes against trans people, provides a space for public mourning and honours the lives of those trans people who might otherwise be forgotten. Started in the USA, the TDOR is now held in many parts of the world. In the past, the TDOR took place in more than 180 cities in more than 20 countries in North America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Oceania.

Sadly, this year there are 226 trans persons to be added to the list to be remembered, mourned and honoured.

The Trans Murder Monitoring (TMM) project started in April 2009 and systematically monitors, collects and analyses reports of homicides of trans people worldwide. Updates of the results, which have been presented in July 2009 for the first time, are published on the website of the “Transrespect versus Transphobia Worldwide” project two times a year in form of tables, name lists, and maps:

Every year in November, Transgender Europe provides a special update of the TMM results for the International Transgender Day of Remembrance so as to assist activists worldwide in raising public awareness of hate crimes against trans people. The TDOR 2014 update has revealed a total of 226 cases of reported killings of trans people from October 1^st 2013 to September 30^th 2014

The update shows reports of murdered trans people in 28 countries in the last 12 months, with the majority from Brazil (113), Mexico (31), Honduras (12), the USA (10) and Venezuela (10). While Brazil and Mexico have the highest absolute numbers, the relative numbers show even more worrisome results for some countries with smaller population sizes such as Honduras.

The TDOR 2014 update reveals a total of 1,612 reported killings of trans people in 62 countries worldwide from January 1^st 2008 to September 30^th 2013. It is important to note that these cases are those that could be found through Internet research and through cooperation with trans organizations and activists. In most countries, data on murdered trans people are not systematically produced and it is impossible to estimate the numbers of unreported cases.

The alarming figures demonstrate once more that there is an urgent need to react to the violence against trans people and to seek mechanisms to protect trans people. Some international trans activists even started to introduce the term ‘transcide’ to reflect the continuously elevated level of deadly violence against trans people on a global scale and a coalition of NGOs from South America and Europe started the “Stop Trans Genocide” campaign.

Cases have been reported from all major World Regions (Africa, Asia, Central and South America, Europe, North America, and Oceania), evoking an evermore gruesome picture, especially given the very partial knowledge we are able to gain in many places.

Throughout all six world regions, the highest absolute numbers have been found in countries with strong trans movements and trans or LGBT organizations that do a professional monitoring: Brazil (644), Mexico (177), Venezuela (83), Colombia (82), and Honduras (70) in Central and South America, the USA (100) in North America, Turkey (36) and Italy (27) in Europe, and India (37) and the Philippines (32) in Asia.

The close connection between the existence of strong trans movements and professional monitoring on the one hand, and highest absolute numbers of reports, on the other hand, point to a worrisome question: the question of unreported cases. Beside the need for mechanisms to protect trans people, this connection also shows the need for strong trans communities and organizations, which are capable of professional monitoring and reporting of violence against trans people. Furthermore this connection results in the fact, that the figures show only the tip of the iceberg of homicides of trans people on a worldwide scale.

More than 1,250 reported murders of trans people in Central and South America since 2008

The new result update moreover reveals that in the last 81 months:

1,267 killings of trans people have been reported in Central and South America, which account for 79 % of the globally reported murders of trans people since January 2008. In this region, there has been the strongest increase in reports and with 23 countries Central and South America is the best documented region.

138 killings of trans people have been reported in Asia in 16 countries;

104 killings of trans people have been reported in North America;

90 killings of trans people have been reported in Europe in 13 countries;

9 killings of trans people have been reported in Africa in 4 countries;

4 killings of trans people have been reported in Oceania in 4 countries.

While the documentation of killings of trans people is indispensable for demonstrating the shocking extent of human rights violations committed against trans people on a global scale, there is also a need for in-depth research of various other aspects related to the human rights situation of trans people. Therefore, Transgender Europe developed the Trans Murder Monitoring project into the ‘Transrespect versus Transphobia Worldwide’ research project (TvT). TvT is a comparative, ongoing qualitative-quantitative research project, which provides an overview of the human rights situation of trans people in different parts of the world and develops useful data and advocacy tools for international institutions, human rights organizations, the trans movement and the general public. In November 2012 Transgender Europe published the TvT research report “TRANSRESPECT VERSUS TRANSPHOBIA WORLDWIDE – A Comparative Review of the Human-rights Situation of Gender-variant/Trans People”, which discusses and contextualizes the key findings of the TvT project. You can download the research report here

If you have further questions or if you want to support the research project, please contact the TvT research team:

research@transrespect-transphobia.org www.transrespect-transphobia.org

]]> https://dayagainsthomophobia.org/november-20th-is-transgender-day-of-rememberance/feed/ 0 https://dayagainsthomophobia.org/idahot-report-2014-sri-lanka/ https://dayagainsthomophobia.org/idahot-report-2014-sri-lanka/#comments Wed, 04 Jun 2014 17:00:58 +0000 http://dayagainsthomophobia.org/?p=6557 Sri Lanka

The commemoration of the IDAHOT 2014 in Sri Lanka took place in Colombo on the 19th of May 2014 at the Taj Samudra Hotel. Distinguished guests, including the Ambassadors for the US, Germany, Switzerland and Norway and the High Commissioners of the UK, Australia and Canada attended the 160 + strong event which featured testimonies from the LGBTIQ community and the launch of EQUAL GROUND’s latest publication “I Might be Transgender: a booklet for transgender youth” and its acclaimed documentary “the Invisible Stain.”

 “It cuts to the very core of our being and we hurt, all the time – and we hide, we lie, we pretend, we point fingers at others – all because we are most often, afraid to show who we really are, be who we really are,” said the EQUAL GROUND’s Executive Director Rosanna Flamer-Caldera in her speech, opening the event.

The Ambassador for the United States of America, Her Excellency Michel Sison reiterated the commitment the USA had for upholding and supporting the rights of all LGBTIQ persons the world over. This is why she said, her country along with other supportive countries, were determined to fight against homophobia and transphobia no matter where it occurred.

The commemoration of the IDAHOT 2014 took place in at least 17 cities in Indonesia, from Sumatra to Papua, and from May 7 to May 16.

The events took place in 13 Indonesian regions (Medan-North Sumatra, Lampung-Sumatra, Jakarta-Java, Bandung-West Java, Solo-Central Java, Cirebon-West Java, Kupang-East Nusa Tenggara, Manado-North Sulawesi, North Minahasa-Sulawesi, South Minahasa-Sulawesi, Gorontalo-Sulawesi, Palu-Central Sulawesi, and Papua) was organized by Suara Kita, although an IDAHOT event was cancelled in one region (Lombok-West Nusa Tenggara) due to security issue. They were extremely diverse, ranging from public discussion at universities, hearing with state agency, community discussion, community gathering, press release, LGBT movie screening, road rally, radio-television talkshow, solidarity act to help low-income group, and consolidation-evaluation of the 2014 IDAHOT events.

The events involved 29 organizations and communities whose backgrounds were not only from LGBT community but also from women groups, religious groups (both Muslim and Christian), student groups, research/study groups, worker activists, environmental activists, pluralism activists, and media. Overall, the 2014 IDAHOT events ran well as planned, although a public discussion in Medan had a minor disturbance.

The highlights of the conducted events include the discussion on the impact of a particular well-known Islamic party towards the LGBT rights movement in the country, and a movie screening of ‘Tales of Waria’, a documentary about the Indonesian transgender community. Activists also created an online video campaign which popularised the issues faced by trans* communities in the country.

Coordinated by Suara Kita, Indonesia’s LGBT-themed media and journalist group, the whole list of IDAHOT events in Indonesia can be seen from the agenda below:

At the end of the 2014 IDAHOT, a evaluation and consolidation meeting was held, gathering some of executive organizations in the 2014 IDAHOT in Jakarta. Due to limited resources, only organizations from Jakarta (Java), Manado, Tomohon, and Palu (Sulawesi) were invited to come. The consolidation meeting evaluated the 2014 IDAHOT events and made plans for the next IDAHO in 2015. Hopes are that more participants would contribute to the event with more varied backgrounds such as students, activists, and government agencies.

All 2014 IDAHOT events will be compiled into a book (both in English and Indonesian version) that will be distributed to various individuals and entities (NGOs, universities, LGBT communities, government agencies, foreign embassies, donor organizations, and general public) either in hard and soft copy form.

Public discussion in Medan on May 23

Public Discussion at the Muslim University in Jakarta on May 26

The organisers will start the week of events on May 11, the Egyptian Day against Homophobia and Transphobia. This day is commemorating the incidence in 2001 when 52 gay men got arrested from the queen boat. This year will mark the third year in which the EDAHOT is celebrated to remind the new generation of the history of prosecution of homosexuals in the region and to encourage them to stand up and fight against Homophobia and Transphobia.

The week of events will include:

1. Several sessions and seminars in two major cities, raising the topics of the role of media in spreading homophobia and transphobia and the prosecution of other minorities (“not only sexual minorities”)
2. One day of activities for trans people
3. Sport activities
4. A “theater” play
5. Media production videos, articles and radio episode about homophobia

In Sudan there will be a day of activities “sessions, seminars” and celebration of the International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia on May 17.

The day first emerged as a response to the lack of international days which are uniquely addressed to trans community issues. And in response to the specific quality of Transgender Day of Remembrance, on November 17, which is focused on mourning, and highlighting, lives lost through transgender hate crimes.

March 31 is also different from the International Day Against Homophobia & Transphobia (IDAHOT), in that it is dedicated specifically to the celebration of trans communities, and especially to promoting transgender visibility. It is also a day to celebrate pioneers, in the fight to recognise transgender rights, and many events will be happening today with those goals in mind.

Transgender Day of Visibility was initially started by Rachel Crandall, from Michican, United States, in March 2009.

To contribute to the commemorations this year, the IDAHOT team will be publishing two interviews, focused on questions of trans visibility in Latin America – one a collective interview about trans masculine communities in Brazil (coming shortly!), and another, an interview with Venezuelan Trans Rights Superstar (and IDAHOT President!) Tamara Adrian (originally published for March 31, 2013).

We will also be posting regularly about the Day on our social media pages.

Happy Transgender Day of Visibility to everyone !