'A day to mourn': Calgarians commemorate those murdered due to transphobia
Calgarians gathered at city hall Wednesday to remember and honour transgender individuals who have been murdered as a result of transphobia as part of this year's Trans Day of Remembrance.
"It's a day to come together to mourn the trans and gender diverse folks who have died across the world in the last year as a result of transphobic violence," said Amelia Newbert, co-founder of Skipping Stone, a Calgary-based non-profit who hosted the event.
"It's also a day to sort of recommit ourselves to working to end transphobic violence in the hope that, one day, there's no names on any list."
According to a report from Transgender Europe, 331 trans and gender-diverse people were killed worldwide in the past year, while 3,314 were killed in 74 countries between January 2008 and September of this year.
"So many folks I think really isolate themselves and they aren't able to sort of flourish because of that fear and that fear is very real," she said.
Newbert says Trans Day of Remembrance holds a personal importance for her and that growing up she was a victim of transphobic abuse.
"I was assigned male at birth and any time I would try to express myself in a sort of feminine way I was a victim of some really serious physical abuse," she said. "I've certainly experienced instances with partners and in the public where I have been attacked."
Newbert says the day of remembrance makes her think about how both her and others in Calgary have been close to dying as a result of transphobic violence.
"So many of them are not able to just conduct their lives in a way where they can get from point A to point B, use the washroom, go to work and go out and enjoy," she said.
"At this day we certainly talk about the work that still has to be done," she said.
Aurora Claire Borin, the other co-founder of Skipping stone, says she would like to see a space where people of all kinds are treated like people — not their label.
"I'm a transgender women and there's a significant number of people that would call me a man," she said.
Matthew Oliver van Diepen, who prefers going by their performance name, Oliver Twirl says a lot of times the motivation behind the abuse comes from ignorance and and misinformation.
"It comes from fear and the thought that we are wanting to taint or ruin people when in reality we just want to live as who we are and love ourselves for who we are," said Twirl.
Twirl says as a trans-masculine non-binary person, they face misgendering and discrimination on the daily.
"I walk in the world knowing that many people will look at me and not actually see who I am but what they think I am," they said.
Twirl says the future looks hard, but it's a battle they can fight together.
"Here in Calgary, I have found a trans community that listens, that helps and that wants me to be alive."
