Today, November 20th, is the trans day of remembrance.
The name is a bit of a misnomer, because gives the impression that it’s about the past when unfortunately it speaks to a very real present.
I’d like to share some statistics:
- 64% of LGBTQ youth report feeling unsafe in their schools.
- 90% of trans youth in Canada hear transphobic comments daily or weekly.
- 74% of trans youth report being verbally harassed, 37% of them daily.
- 49% of trans youth report being sexually harassed in their schools.
- 37% of trans youth report being physically assaulted.
- 27% of them by their parents.
- 40% of youth in Ottawa’s streets are LGBTQ.
- Youth of colour are disproportionately affected on all of these metrics.
This is today.
The television shows and movies they turn to ridicule them. The pillars of their world – parents and teachers – too often reject them. I wish I could say that most of my friends were still able to talk to their parents, didn’t face regular harassment on Ottawa’s streets, or weren’t ever told that they ought to die. Sadly, that isn’t the case. It is in this environment that 43% of trans folk report having attempted suicide, 10% in the last year. Not because they are trans, but because of the social shame and isolation.
This is where you come in. As adults, if you know of a gender creative or trans youth, be there for them. Accept them.
It’s not silence or wishful thinking that will make their life better.
Sources
- http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/half-of-homeless-ottawa-youth-identify-as-lgbtq-1.1699604
- http://mygsa.ca/setting-gsa/homophobia-transphobia-statistics
- http://ohmygay.tumblr.com/post/11020923645/ontario-pc-party-distributes-misleading-homophobic
- http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/sudbury/social-shame-heightens-transgender-suicide-1.1179394
- http://badtransjokes.tumblr.com/