Transgender Day of Remembrance

Author: Tom Robinson

VONNE's Amy Langdown shares her thoughts this Transgender Day of Remembrance - exploring some of the issues around trans rights, highlighting the challenges facing trans people and sharing further information and sources of support.

An image of many hands holding up small transgender pride flags.

Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDoR) is a day observed annually on November 20th as part of Transgender Awareness Week to memorialise those who have been murdered as a result of transphobia - but more than this, TDoR is a day to recognise the work that has been done and, most importantly, still needs to be done in order to ensure the safety and recognition of transgender (trans) people across the world.

The LGBTQIA+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual) community uses this day to remember those who came before them and also to highlight the transphobia and discrimination faced by those still with us and push to ensure trans people in the future don't experience the same.

TDoR is, arguably, more important now more than ever. Globally, we are seeing rates of abuse and even murders fuelled by transphobia rising exponentially.

On the 11th February last year, 16-year-old trans teenager Brianna Ghey was murdered in a premeditated attack by two of her peers, and it was proven that hate against transgender people was a motivation for the brutal killing. Brianna is not the only trans person to have been murdered for her transness over the last few years - attack statistics have been steadily rising in recent years across many countries (including the US, in particular). The media coverage following the death of Brianna was innately and intensely transphobic, and led to an onslaught of both social media and in-person attacks on the LGBTQIA+ community in the following months.

In the UK, it is still legal to enforce conversion ‘therapy’ on trans young people, even with conversion therapy for Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual young people now being illegalised in UK law. Gender Clinics have been shutting down all over the UK in recent years and some waiting times are as long as 9 years before someone can be seen and offered even initial therapy required to receive Gender Affirming Care (GAC).

In 2023, the UK government put an ‘emergency’ ban on puberty blockers for trans and non-binary young people which still exists to this day (recently extended); puberty blockers which have been (and are still being) used on cisgender (not trans) young people since 1981 to delay early puberty. This ban has a real risk of being detrimental to trans people in the UK, specifically those who cannot afford private GAC.

GAC is not seen as a right in the UK, despite discrimination based on gender going against the Human Rights Acts; trans people are suffering staggering levels of ill-mental health because of this.

Some of the latest statistics show that:

In healthcare (Taken from LGBT in Britain: Health (2018) and TransActual Trans Lives Survey (2021)):

  • Almost one in four LGBT people (23%) have witnessed discriminatory or negative remarks against LGBT people by healthcare staff.
  • Seven in ten trans people (70%) report being impacted by transphobia when accessing general health services.
  • Nearly half of trans people (45%) said that their GP did not have a good understanding of their needs as a trans person, rising to over half of non-binary people (55%).
  • 90% of trans people reported experiencing delays when seeking transition-related healthcare.
  • Trans people of colour also experienced transphobia from trans-specific healthcare providers at more than double the rate of white respondents (13% compared to 6%).

In home and communities (Taken from LGBT in Britain: Home and Communities (2018)):

  • Only half of lesbian, gay and bi people (46 per cent) and trans people (47 per cent) feel able to be open about their sexual orientation or gender identity to everyone in their family.
  • Almost one in five LGBT people (18 per cent) have experienced homelessness at some point in their lives.
  • Half of black, Asian and minority ethnic LGBT people (51 per cent) have experienced discrimination or poor treatment from others in their local LGBT community because of their ethnicity.

At work (Taken from LGBT in Britain: Work (2018)):

  • More than a third of LGBT staff (35%) have hidden that they are LGBT at work for fear of discrimination.
  • One in four trans people (26%) aren’t open with anyone at work about being trans. This number increases to about two in five non-binary people (37%) who aren’t out at work.
  • Almost one in five LGBT staff (18%) have been the target of negative comments or conduct from work colleagues because they’re LGBT.
  • Almost one in five LGBT people (18%) who were looking for work said they were discriminated against because of their identity while trying to get a job.

Hate crime (Taken from Galop’s Hate Crime Report 2021 and LGBT in Britain: Hate Crime (2017)):

  • Two-thirds (64%) of LGBTQ+ people had experienced anti-LGBT+ violence or abuse.
  • Only 1 in 8 LGBT+ people surveyed had reported the most recent incident that they had experienced to the police. Less than half of those who did report their experience to the police were satisfied with the response.
  • Only 1 in 3 respondents who wanted or needed support were able to access it.
  • One third (34%) of Black, Asian and minority ethnic LGBT people have experienced a hate crime or incident in the past twelve months, compared to one in five white LGBT people (20%).
  • Two in five trans people (41%) have experienced a hate crime or incident because of their gender identity.

Education​ (Taken from Just Like Us’ Growing Up LGBT+ (2021), The School Report (2017) and The Teachers’ Report (2014):

  • 42% of LGBT+ school pupils have been bullied in the past year, double the number of non-LGBT+ pupils (21%).
  • 48% of pupils have had little to no positive messaging about being LGBT+ at school in the last year. However, pupils whose schools had positive messaging about being LGBT+ also had reduced suicidal thoughts and feelings – regardless of whether they are LGBT+ or not.
  • Half of LGBT pupils hear homophobic slurs 'frequently' or 'often' at school.
  • Seven in ten LGBT pupils report that their school says that homophobic and biphobic bullying is wrong, up from half in 2012 and a quarter in 2007. However, just two in five LGBT pupils report that their schools say that transphobic bullying is wrong.
  • Two in five LGBT pupils (40%) are never taught anything about LGBT issues at school.

Statistics from a 2022/23 government study also showed that:

  • there was a 70% increase in hate crimes between 2018/19 and 2022/23 based on sexual orientation.
  • There was a 110% increase between 2018/19 and 2022/23 based on transgender identity.

Days like TDoR are so important because of these statistics - TDoR and Trans Day of Visibility highlight the issues faced by trans people and the fact that there is so much still to do in order to ensure the mental wellbeing, safety and general enjoyment of life of trans people can improve.

Another reason that TDoR is so important to the LGBTQIA+ community is because it is a well-known fact that, when the first Pride parade was seen in America in 1970, on the first anniversary of the Stonewall riots (a series of events sparked by the violent and discriminatory treatment of LGBTQIA+ people and businesses by the police), it was led by Black Trans people, including Martha P. Johnson. 

Trans people have always been a part, and some of the key changemakers, of the LGBTQIA+ community, and have been documented throughout history since the beginning of human civilisation, though that history is not often taught.

Transgender identities are under constant scrutiny by the media - from 2018-19, the UK press wrote over 6,000 articles about trans people, who are in fact only (approximately) 0.26% of the population. These articles are often steeped in transphobia and homophobia, and most often not at all representative of the people they are discussing. There is a huge amount of misinformation around trans and non-binary identities and this is extremely harmful.

In situations like this, it’s hard to know what to do, but really, it’s quite simple.

  1. Educate yourself on the LGBTQIA+ community. There are endless (reliable) resources online and in print around LGBTQIA+ themes. Some I recommend you read/learn from are as follows:
  1. Write emails/letters to your local MPs about the need for an end to the puberty blocker GAC ban. Details of local MPs, resources and a useful template can be found here.
  2. Support your LGBTQIA+ friends, family and communities in whatever way you can. Some of the resources and helplines listed below have information that might help you with this.
  3. Support local, national and global LGBTQIA+ charities, some of which are listed here:
  • Curious Arts - a North-East based LGBTQIA+ arts and youth charity
  • Hart Gables - Supporting LGBTQIA+ communities in Teesside and East Durham
  • AKT - a national charity supporting LGBTQIA+ 16-25 year olds at risk of homelessness
  • Barnardo’s - working to help children and young people feel safer, happier, healthier and more hopeful – and have somewhere they feel they belong
  • Pride Action North (formerly Northumberland Pride) - a leading LGBTQIA+ charity providing a wide range of support services across the North of England, and beyond
  • The Trevor Project - A charity aiming to eliminate suicide for young LGBTQIA+ people
  • Mermaids - Supporting trans, non-binary and gender-diverse children, young people and their families

LGBTQIA+ Helplines and resources

Switchboard - for those who identify as LGBTQIA+, 0300 330 0630 or via webchat service.

Black Beetle Health - Health information for LGBTQ+ Black people and People of Colour in the UK.

Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (FFLAG) - Offers support to parents, friends and family members of those who identify as LGBT+.

Galop - Provides helplines and other support for LGBT+ adults and young people who have experienced hate crime, sexual violence or domestic abuse.

0207 704 2040 (LGBT+ hate crime helpline)

0800 999 5428 (LGBT+ domestic abuse helpline)

0800 130 3335 (Conversion therapy helpline)

Mermaids - Supports gender-diverse young people aged 19 and under, and their families and carers, 0808 801 0400 helpline and webchat service.

Stonewall - Information and advice for LGBT people, 08000 50 20 20.

Stonewall Housing - Specialist housing advice for anyone identifying as LGBTQ+ in the UK, 

0800 6 404 404.