Boston to honor Transgender Day of Remembrance Community Speak-Out, Vigil on Friday, Nov 20 in Allston
Each November 20, the worldwide transgender community turns its attention to its family, friends and loved ones lost to violence. A tradition inspired by the Allston vigil for slain transsexual Rita Hester in 1998, this day has become the worldwide rallying point for a community long under siege.
Here in Boston, the gathering site will once again be Allston’s St. Luke’s & St. Margaret’s church. Organizers expect a capacity audience once again this year for the annual event that combines an inspiring program of speakers, heartfelt community speakout, and moving candlelight vigil that will again retrace much of the path taken by the 1998 vigil.
The non-worship, non-denominational, free program begins at 7pm and concludes, after the candlelight vigil, with a reception featuring hot drinks and home-baked snacks. For the latest details, please visit www.masstpc.org/dor.
Boston’s Transgender and LGB community extends a warm welcome to all who would like to attend this important event to memorialize our dead and underscore the seriousness of the suffering of our communities. No persons should be subjected to violence simply because of their gender identity or expression. No persons should be denied the basic rights that enable their safety and security. Please join with us on this day to remember our dead, whatever the cause of their departure.
This event will benefit the Transgender Emergency Fund, which provides assistance to low-income transgender people. Event sponsors include the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition, the Boston Alliance of GLBT Youth, TransCEND, Boston Health Care for the Homeless, Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders, Bay Windows, Tiffany Club of New England, Congregation Am Tikva, Fenway Community Health Center, AIDS Action Committee, The Network La Red, and Boston Pride.
Event Background:
Eleven years ago at this time, Boston’s LGBT community recoiled in horror at the discovery of the latest victim of transphobic violence. Rita Hester, a popular figure in the local rock ‘n roll scene, who also happened to be a transsexual, had been found brutally stabbed to death in her Brighton apartment. Like so many killings of gay and transgender persons, the victim was subjected to enough brutality to kill her many times over.
A local community of queer activists, rockers, family, friends and allies – over 250 of them – came together and held a speak-out and candlelight vigil in Rita’s honor, forming a human stream of light winding its way through Rita’s old Allston stomping grounds. One year later, a memorial vigil was held in San Francisco; the following year Boston and a few other cities joined in, and this year hundreds of observances will be held in dozens of countries.
Boston’s transgender community remembers Chanelle Pickett, Debra Forte, Monique Thomas, and Rita Hester, all of whom were local transgender victims of unusually violent and hateful murders. Before these, there were many more, mostly uncounted and unnoticed by all but their friends and family.
Boston’s Transgender Day of Remembrance observance is organized by an all-volunteer committee.
Legislature Honors MTPC
This week the State House of Representatives, led by Rep. Robert DeLeo, issued a proclamation honoring MTPC “…in recognition of your commitment to fighting for justice, equality, and safety on behalf of transgender people in the Commonwealth.”
MTPC Health Care Survey
Have you received health care in Massachusetts in the last year? We want to hear from you!
On the heels of our successful Transgender Health Care Summits in Boston, the MTPC is conducting a statewide survey to gauge the state of health care in the Massachusetts transgender community. The data gathered will help us understand and evaluate the current state of health care access, resources, and services for transgender youth and adults, and understand the concerns of transgender people regarding health care. Please take a few minutes of you time to fill out this short, anonymous survey. Your responses will be 100% anonymous, and no personally identifiable information will be attached to the information you share.
New Trans Experience Bulletin Released
The November bulletin on transgender experience in the Commonwealth, as reported to Massachusetts service organizations, has been released. This bulletin covers the month of October, 2009, and reports that 35 reports of transgender related discrimination, harassment and violence were received.
76% of MA Voters Favor Protecting Transgender People from Discrimination
NEW POLL Shows Broad and Deep Support for Current Legislation
A new poll shows that 76% of Massachusetts voters, including 81% of women, support passing a law prohibiting discrimination against transgender people in employment, housing, and public accommodations.
The poll, conducted by Lake Research Partners from November 4-8 2009, was released today by a coalition ofMassachusetts organizations* working to pass non-discrimination legislation. It was based on telephone interviews with 400 likely voters.
Advocates said the poll demonstrates far greater support for the non-discrimination bill (H. 1728/S. 1687) than previously thought. The bill is now being studied by the joint Judiciary Committee of the legislature.
“Voters understand discrimination and don’t want to see it allowed in the Commonwealth,” said Rep. Carl Sciortino (D), lead sponsor of the bill. “Legislators seriously underestimate their constituents if they think voters don’t get this. It’s time for Massachusetts to join the 13 other states that ban discrimination against their transgender citizens.”
Not only did voters say they want their legislators to pass this law, more than half (51%) are more likely to vote for their legislator if their representative voted for the bill. Only 14% would be less likely to vote for such a legislator.
Several states have recently added gender identity and expression to their non discrimination laws. Last week, voters of Kalamazoo, MI overwhelmingly passed a measure that will add gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender individuals to an existing city ordinance banning discrimination in housing, employment and public accommodations.
“Every day in Massachusetts, transgender people lose their jobs, are evicted, suffer harassment, and are denied services because of who they are,” said Sciortino. “Let’s not tolerate that any more. Let’s pass this bill.”
View the poll and the Lake Research Partners analysis
*Coalition members include the Massachusetts chapter of National Organization for Women; the National Association of Social Workers, Massachusetts Chapter; ACLU of Massachusetts; Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition; Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders; MassEquality; Massachusetts Gay and Lesbian Political Caucus; Massachusetts Lesbian and Gay Bar Association; and 70 other member organizations of the Transgender Civil Rights Coalition.
President’s Hate Crimes Law Signing Remarks
For all who are interested, we’re posting the words of President Obama from the historic Hate Crimes Act signing ceremony. Read them below the fold.
Obama Signs Trans-Inclusive Hate Crimes Law
President Obama today signed the FY2010 Defense Authorization Bill, which includes the Matthew Shepard/James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act. This historic legislation is the first federal law to recognize the existence of, and provide civil rights protections for, transgender people. It provides for the tracking of hate crimes based on sexual orientation, gender identity, gender and disability, providing assistance to local authorities and gathering information about these crimes.
“This is a great thing for our transgender community, and we’re grateful to our elected representatives for their good work on this,” said MTPC executive director Gunner Scott. “But it doesn’t change the need for statewide legislation. We’re still waiting for action on our civil rights from the state legislature.” HB1728, “An Act Relative to Gender-Based Discrimination and Hate Crimes,” has 105 co-sponsors, enough to guarantee passage in both the House and Senate, but it is still pending a report out from the Joint Committee on the Judiciary.
“This comes at a time of special significance for the transgender community,” said Scott. “Each November 20th the transgender community worldwide observes the Transgender Day of Remembrance, a day to honor transgender victims of hate motivated murder. To this day, transgender people suffer widespread discrimination, harassment and violence simply for being who they are. The passage of this federal level hate crimes law is the first step towards changing this shameful situation.”
The week of Nov 15-20th, leading up to Transgender Day of Remembrance, has been declared by MTPC as Transgender Awareness Week, a time for outreach and education about transgender issues. More information about events this week is available at http://www.masstpc.org.
“The Transgender Day of Remembrance is a moving and vital event for our community,” says Nancy Nangeroni, ad hoc chair of Boston Transgender Day of Remembrance Organizing Committee. “Too many of our sisters and brothers are suffering because of the systemic marginalization of all gender non-conforming people, and this event draws our attention to the most heinous effects of what more and more people are recognizing as unjust oppression.”
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About MTPC
The Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition (MTPC) is dedicated to ending discrimination on the basis of gender identity and gender expression. We envision a world where persons of all genders are treated with respect and fully participate in all areas of society, free from fear of prohibition, harassment or violence based on their gender identity and/or expression.
Transgender Suicide Prevention Initiative Launches November 3
In a first-of-its-kind coordinated effort to educate health care
providers and the community at large about the high risk of suicide
among the transgender community, and to expand current services to
this at-risk population, MDPH Commissioner John Auerbach will unveil
the state’s pioneering Transgender Suicide Prevention brochures on
November 3rd in a public forum at the Department of Public Health,
located at 250 Washington Street in Boston.
The Transgender Suicide Prevention Working Group, which was formed
last year, is launching this effort, making Massachusetts the first in
the nation to create brochures specifically focusing on suicide among
the transgender community. The working group is a collaboration of the
DPH, the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition (MTPC), Fenway
Health, Samaritans, and the Massachusetts Coalition for Suicide
Prevention and was formed to address this public health and community
issue by working to make communities safer for transgender people.