Transphobia challenged by remembrance event

AN art installation set up in front of the big Bendigo sign on Sunday has marked Trans Day of Remembrance.

Three-hundred and ninety pairs of shoes were laid out on the plaza to represent the world-wide number of trans and non-binary people who had been killed because of their gender in the past 12 months.

Extra shoes, painted grey and arranged in a pile at the base of the transgender flag flying at half mast, represented the people lost for which there is no clear number.

Organiser, Zara Jones, said the event was aimed at raising awareness about things there were happening around the world, and closer to home.

“We had a lot of people looking at this installation with curiosity and speaking to us about the impact of attitudes in the community,” she said

“We shared stories of local people who have been impacted by negative attitudes and violence directed towards them just because they are transgender or gender diverse.

“We shouldn’t be disregarding the impact of mental health challenges that come from all these comments and attitudes. It doesn’t have to be physical violence that impacts on people.

“Transgender diverse people are overrepresented in suicide statistics. So there’s a lot more harm being caused by stigmatised behaviours.”

However, Ms Jones also said that things are improving for trans and gender diverse communities.

“With each generation there is a softening of what we will accept and what we will work towards,” she said.

“As the older generations who have been taught particular way to behave [move on], the next generation under them see that’s not quite the best way to do things.

“We’re becoming more educated, more connected, and that’s giving us the opportunity, for each new generation, to see more and grow more.

“It is really important to recognise that, yes, we still have a long way to go, but there is hope.”