Day of Remembrance celebrates transgendered (Saturday)

[Sapphocrat]

For years, Lynda Moureau listened to her son recount daily verbal abuse, taunts and threats he experienced in school. They called him "a fag," but they didn't understand that he wasn't gay; he was transgendered.

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Saturday marks the fifth year that transgendered Vermonters and their allies have commemorated the Transgender Day of Remembrance, an international day of mourning for those who have lost their lives to transphobic violence. Kelly Brigham, one of the organizers of today's event, said the day's purpose is twofold: to memorialize those who were killed because of their gender identity, and to make people more aware of gender-based violence in the community.

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The Day of Remembrance is meant to emphasize that prejudice against transgendered and gender-variant people still exists. Burlington has an active trans community, with female to male trans people making up the majority...

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Recently, transgender and gender identity issues in Vermont took the statewide stage when the Gender Identity and Expression Non-Discrimination Act was vetoed by Gov. Jim Douglas. The bill would have protected people who have gone through sexual reassignment surgery or who express a gender different from their biological sex from discrimination based on their gender identity and expression.

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About the Day of Remembrance: The Transgender Day of Remembrance was set aside to memorialize those who were killed due to anti-transgender hatred or prejudice. The event is held in November to honor Rita Hester, whose murder in 1998 kicked off the "Remembering Our Dead" Web project and a San Francisco candlelight vigil in 1999. The event has grown to encompass memorials in dozens of cities across the world.

For more information: www.gender.org/remember/day.

More:
http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061118/NEWS02/611180309/1007

[maddezmom]

1. K&R

all DU'ers shoud read this, thanks for posting. :hug:

[bliss_eternal]

2. What the hell is wrong with Gov. Jim Douglas...?

:mad:Is protecting people from abuse and discrimination NOT a priority in his state?

[AB_Positive]

3. Up with rememberance, down with Douglas.

Guh. I thought Vermont had more progressive politicians than that.
My plan hasn't changed though. St. John, NB, Canada has a hell of a TG community - once my debt is down to zero you bet your bippy I'm heading north to go through transition.

But at least some people are still fighting the fight, not as easy to do in NH.

-AB+