TDOR

It’s the International Transgender Day of Remembrance today and, to mark it, there was a very well-attended vigil at the old Exchange Station building this evening.

The Day aims to commemorate the lives of all Transgender and non-gender-conforming people across the world who have died as a result of murder or suicide - particularly those who have died in the past year.

We watched a very moving video showing the names and, in most cases, the photographs of all those people known to have died in this manner across the world over the past 12 months - and there were over 300 people on the list - some as young as 13. These are, of course, just the people who have been recorded officially. There will be hundreds more whose deaths were not officially recorded or recognised.

We listened to a very powerful speech by Rev Sr Maria Renate https://www.blipfoto.com/entry/2352892736786401406 in which she balanced her anger and sorrow at the loss of precious lives with a celebration of difference, and of people who defy the odds to be who they are. She particularly celebrated Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, women who, in her memorable phrase, “looked a challenge in the eye and gave it a wink!” https://sites.psu.edu/womeninhistory/2016/10/23/the-unsung-heroines-of-stonewall-marsha-p-johnson-and-sylvia-rivera/

We also listened to Jan Sampson of Mermaids, the organisation which supports the families of transgender children, and to the young people of GYRO and Action Youth, the local support groups for LGBT+ and Trans youth, and to Trans activist Abi Austen.

I was moved by them all. But I was particularly taken with the young people who played music for us. Elliot, who sang his song about the need to teach teachers about gender diversity, and today’s Blip subject, Jordyn, who opened and closed the event. Just him and his guitar.

Jordyn is 17 years old and has a poise and confidence which I could only have dreamt of at 17. Which I still dream of now, if I’m honest!

As he closed the event he spoke of how difficult it had been to watch the commemorative video and how he hadn’t expected to see people younger than he is listed amongst the dead.

We still have a long way to go before people are respected and valued for who they truly are, and what they have to offer the world - and not judged by which pronouns they use to describe themselves, or what clothes they choose to wear.

The song Jordyn closed with was a cover of ‘Jealous’ by Labrinth www.youtube.com/watch?v=50VWOBi0VFs

He sang it beautifully.