Transgender Day of Remembrance 2023

Ahead of her retirement, EEAST LGBT Network Secretary, Melanie Bartlett shares her thoughts on Transgender Remembrance Day in this thought-provoking piece.

TRIGGER WARNING: Suicide and self-harm are mentioned within this article.

20 November is Transgender Day of Remembrance. It’s an international event commemorating those who have lost their lives because of acts of anti-transgender violence.

Here in the UK, we are relatively lucky. Being trans is not a criminal offence, as it still is in some other parts of the world. But even in the UK, trans people are at risk of horrific violence. In February this year, 16-year-old trans girl Brianna Ghey was found in a public park. She was alive but unresponsive after a vicious knife attack in broad daylight, and later died on scene. It was the culmination of months of abuse and bullying.

And for every Brianna, there are hundreds of trans people being driven to suicide by discrimination, intimidation and bullying. Studies have shown that around 80% of transgender people have seriously considered suicide, and about 50% have attempted it. Every trans person knows others who have attempted suicide, and sadly some who have succeeded.

As part of my role as LGBT+ Network secretary I often travel around the pride events in our region, and whilst doing so I have been struck by the number of young people who talk to me about prospective careers in the ambulance service who carry the unmistakeable scars of self-harm on their arms and legs.

It is one thing to remember our trans people that have lost their lives, but if Transgender Day of Remembrance is to really mean anything we must highlight the problems faced by our trans sisters and brothers, in order to reverse the hatred that kills so many like Brianna, and wrecks thousands of lives.

Trans people are normal people, who just have happen to have a slightly unusual characteristic.

We are your patients. Some of us are your colleagues. Please don’t forget us.

We would like to thank Melanie for all of her hard work within EEAST, especially within her role as LGBT+ Network secretary, and wish her all the best in her retirement.