Re: Transgender Day of Remembrance

I wish to apologize to the trans community for not posting about Transgender Day of Remembrance.  I had planned to do one, but I got caught up this weekend, and it completely slipped my mind. I know that the fact that I did forget and get caught up, is completely a sign of my privilege.  I am so sorry, and I absolutely recognize the importance of this day.

At this time, I would like to share with you a piece that Monica of Transgriot wrote:

Heavenly Father,

Today is the Transgender Day of Remembrance.  We humbly ask that you lift up the people who are mourning the loss of a friend, a loved one, or a family member to anti-trans violence on this day.  Give us the strength and determination to make this world better than when we first encountered it for your trans children.  

Help society, our own trans people, our rainbow community and the world to see that transpeople are part of the diverse mosaic of human life.  

Continue to lift us transpeople up in love and truth and help us realize that we are your beautifully made children. Give us the strength to make it through this day and every other subsequent one that we are blessed with and never forget the people who died just for being their true selves.

Bless our friends and those inside and outside our community who curse us.  Move their hearts so that justice and peace will reign and we can live the lives and the exalted name that you promised us we would have if we kept your commandments.   

Give us the fortitude and strength to create a better world for your transgender children and all who dwell in it.

We ask this in Jesus' name,  Amen.

To that I would like to add, each year the list of the dead gets longer and this is a symbol of exactly how institutionalized cissexism is.  As cis people, we need to begin challenging our privilege, speaking up when we see transphobia and asserting that all trans people have the right to live in peace in security.  The cis community supports and maintains its privilege and therefore, it our job to attempt to make a positive change. Finally, I would be remiss if I did not point out that on this terrible list, trans women of colour are over represented.  As a member of the cis Black community, I see this as a sign that we need to put trans rights on the agenda.  Trans people did not give up their racial identity because they are trans, and in fact, it is because they are of colour and trans that they have been specially targeted for abuse and murder.  In this coming year, as we fight against anti-racism, we need to make a special effort to put trans issues on our agenda as a people.