This article was published on November 15th, 2022
Transgender violence must stop, but until it does here’s how we can lend a helping hand.
Do you know anyone in our community who identifies as trans or non-binary? Have you ever met someone who identifies as trans and thought, “hey, you’re so cool and I hope nothing bad ever happens to you?”
We all have those special to our hearts. Your mom, dad, sister, brother and good friends. We love them because of who they are, and we care for them because they’re important people for our well-being.
Now, imagine, because your brother, sister, parent or friend wants to be who they are, they’re beaten, called horrible names and killed. It sounds like something out of a nightmare. Something that could never be real. Something that only happens to people who go looking for trouble, or get caught up in situations they shouldn’t be in.
But the truth is…
Many people in this world are evil. Their joy comes from the pain and suffering from others. They thrive on the sadness they create, and their only goal is to mistreat those who want to live life as their true selves.
In the United States alone, since 2021, there were at least 57 cases of gender non-conforming people fatally shot or killed by other torturous means. The most violent year on record was 2020, when 44 beautiful transgender lives were ended too soon by those whose hearts are filled with hate.
The survivors of these attacks feel tricked. To be a trans survivor of a hate crime brings unprecedented feelings of being a burden on society. These people were assigned a gender at birth, given a name they don’t identify with. Pressured to conform to the societal norms that should be thrown in the trash and never brought up again.
We need to stand up and fight against this hatred. We need to ensure that the world knows that our community, that which of inclusion. That which is oppressed, no matter our gender. That which is a force to be reckoned with, will not stand for further loss or division from the people that want us wiped from the face of the earth any longer.
Our trans guys, gals and non-binary pals are beautiful, and they deserve to live their lives. So, if you want to make a difference, you can start by recognizing and spreading the word about the Transgender day of remembrance.
The goal of the day, and transgender awareness week that leads up to it, is to shed a light on these unseen and often fatal issues that the members of our LGBT community experience daily. The day was first recognized in 1991 by Gwendolyn Ann Smith, a trans advocate, to honor Rita Hester.
The next thing you can do on this important day for our community, is attend a vigil on November 20th. Doing this will ensure you’re making a statement that our community will not live in fear any longer. You can expect to hear a list of names of those who were taken from our community the year of the vigil.
Here at HomoCulture we aim to unite our community. Being united means we stand up for others in our community. We try everything we can to protect them and everything in our power to avoid them experiencing undo harm or suffering.
Now more than ever, we need to unite against the harmful media. This year alone, we have been facing an unparalleled amount of hate speech online. Most of this hate is aimed at the gender nonconformity people in our community.
Let us know in the comments. Will you stand up against the hate that our trans community members are facing worldwide? Will you attend a vigil to show people that we will no longer stand for the hate?
