What is the Transgender Day of Remembrance?
The 20th of November is the Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR); it is one part of Trans Awareness Week which celebrates diversity from November 13th to November 20th. It is a day that brings awareness gender diverse people who have died due to gender-based violence.
Glossary
Transgender is a term that refers to a person whose experience of gender does not match the sex they were assigned at birth; for example, if a person was assigned male at birth and identifies as a woman, she is a transgender woman.
Cisgender refers to people whose assigned sex is the same as their gender; for example, if a person is assigned female at birth and identifies as a woman, she is a cisgender woman.
Trans man refers to a man who was assigned female at birth; he may identify as transgender and/or male. It is grammatically and definitionally correct to include a space between trans and man.
Trans woman refers to a woman who was assigned male at birth; she may identify as transgender and/or female. It is grammatically and definitionally correct to include a space between trans and woman.
Non-binary is an umbrella term for all gender identities that are not strictly female or male, and thus do not fit within the binary.
Agender refers to a person who has no gender identity.
What is cissexism?
Cissexism refers to discrimination and prejudice against transgender people – often by assuming that it is “normal” or “natural” to be cisgender, and “abnormal” to be transgender.
How does mental health play a role?
- Transgender people experience a higher rate of suicide attempts than LGB people, and are nearly eleven times more likely to attempt suicide than the general population
- 1% of transgender and gender diverse people aged 14 to 25 have attempted suicide in their lifetime
- Transgender people are nearly twice as likely to be diagnosed or treated with a mental disorder and anxiety than lesbian and gay people, and nearly three times than the general population
Gender diverse people experience higher rates of mental health issues and psychological distress than their cisgender counterparts. It is important to understand that while LGBTIQA+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer, questioning, asexual, agender, and other identities) have a higher frequency of mental health disorders in Australia, this is not because of how an individual identifies but how the world perceives and treats people who are sex, sexuality, and gender diverse.
What is intersectionality?
Intersectionality refers to the ways in which a person’s identity is comprised of different aspects which can expose them to overlapping forms of discrimination and marginalisation. Said forms of discrimination cannot be teased apart, for example a black woman experiences both sexism and racism and her experiences of both cannot be separated from one another.
Aspects of a person’s identity can include:
- sex
- sexual orientation
- gender identity
- ethnicity
- colour
- nationality
- refugee or asylum seeker background
- language
- religion
- age
- mental health
- physical health
- socioeconomic status
- medical record
- criminal record
Gender diverse people who belong to other marginalised communities face greater risk of systemic oppression and adverse health.
The National LGBTI Health Alliance identified the following intersectional statistics in 2020:
- 4% of people with an intersex variation identify as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People
- 3% of transgender and gender diverse people aged 18 and over identify as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People
- 2% of transgender and gender diverse people aged 18 and over were born overseas, and 5.5% are from a non-English speaking background
- 27% of people with an intersex variation aged 16 and over identify as having one or more disabilities
- 22% of transgender and gender diverse people aged 14 to 25 report experiencing accommodation issues and homelessness
What can I do?
- Educate yourself and research gender identities outside of the binary
- Reflect on your use of language and assumptions about gender
- Learn about the violence faced by gender diverse populations
- Participate in TDOR and attend a local vigil on November 20th to honor the lives of transgender people who’s lives have been lost to discrimination
