Thursday, November 20, 2008

Transgender Day Of Remembrance



Today is the Transgender Day Of Remembrance. This comes at a time when Duanna Johnson's murder should be present in our minds. Statistics tell that at least one transgendered person is murdered every month, often with no justice served. Duanna Johnson's death has also ignited the progressive people of color LGBT blogosphere, since the video taped police brutality leading up to the death of a black transwoman seems to be taking a back seat to the marriage equality agenda. Which in some ways, with no disrespect to Duanna Johnson, i feel is understandable considering the momentum and magnitude of these historical elections, and the millions of people disenfranchized by Prop 8. But issues of class, gender and most definitely race further embroil tensions, even as memes in the news still perpetuate the idea that black people magically voted in Prop 8 while being only 6 percent of the electorate (new studies show age to be a more predicatble factor in who voted yes on 8... lets not start hatin' on the grannies now people...). For some, it would seem that marriage equality is not the priority when people's lives are in danger. Which is also, very understandable.

5 comments:

Unknown said...

Yup, I totally feel folks frustration with a lot of focus on Prop 8 when things like Prop 9 passed--when lives of transgender folks are in danger, when POC communities are torn apart by over-incarceration & a racist criminal justice system...so many wrongs! Also understand how folks are rising up with Prop 8--when something as personal as who and how you love and express it are clamped down upon. So it's all about seeing the connections between all forms of oppression & hatred. More folks I believe (I hope) are seeing it. I would love the No H8 energy to stay just as vital, but also invest in & ignite energy in dismantling other forms of oppression.

richard said...

Michelle, where is your blog?? That was well said, with so many excellent points in one paragraph. The comparison to the relatively absent response to Prop 9 passing, although that affects incarcerated LGBTQ folks (incarcerated folks being diproportionately people of color)... YES. issues like that. How even MORE powerful this movement could be if it more holistically embraced and honored the many intersectionalities that comprise the LGBTQ community (in my humble opinion). Perhaps that shift is happening right now, since indeed, these conversations are happening.

damn Shell, i wish YOU had the mike at the Oakland rally too!!

Unknown said...

well I'm glad you *worked* the mike at the Oakland rally. :)

LISA VAZQUEZ said...

Hey there Richard!

I believe that there the statistics of transgender persons are completely under-reported.

The statistics are not correctly recorded by law enforcement because in most cases, a murder of a transgender is listed in their books a murder of a person (listed by anatomy). The police do not use the term "transgender". They will say "male victim" (if the transgender person was anatomically male but identifying as female). This skews the statistics and places a blanket over the extent of violence against transgender persons.

Peace, blessings and DUNAMIS!
Lisa

richard said...

Michelle: awww, thanks :)

Lisa: Wow, i never knew that, that is an excellent point. A scary point too, around institutionalized transphobia and how abuse and murder rates of transfolks are invisiblized by not honoring their gender identity. Thanks for the heads up! Blesss