Interactive art installation honours lost lives and inspires change
MORE than two hundred people attended the Transgender Day of Remembrance Interactive Art Installation to Honor Lives Lost and Inspire Change in Bendigo recently.
The event, held at Charing Cross, was organised by Trans Gender Diverse Bendigo and Beyond.
The installation commemorated the transgender and gender diverse lives lost to anti-trans violence worldwide in the past year.
Butterfly silhouettes, each symbolising an individual lost, formed the heart of the installation, providing a stark visual representation of the global impact of transphobia.
Visitors participated in a powerful act of community solidarity by creating colourful butterflies with messages of hope and support.
The installation aimed to raise awareness of transphobic violence, encourage reflection, and promote allyship in the broader community.
The art installation was produced by Trans and Gender Diverse Bendigo and Beyond, Thorne Harbour Country, headspace Bendigo, Zoe Belle Gender Collective, Bendigo Pride Festival and YO Bendigo, with support by the City of Greater Bendigo.
“Trans Day of Remembrance was a day to acknowledge the lives lost to anti-trans violence,” said Zara Jones, Community Development Worker at Thorne Harbour Country.
“This year, we recognised the 350 trans and gender diverse people who were reported murdered in the past 12 month period.
“Of the lives lost, as reported by the Trans Murder Monitoring Project, 94 per cent of the reported murders were trans women or transfeminine people.
“Across Australia and particularly in regional areas, the impact of anti-trans violence and negative attitudes contribute to the heartbreaking suicide rate of trans and gender diverse people; which is more than ten times that of the general population.
“This is not because we are transgender, but because of how we are treated as trans people.
“The violence and discrimination experienced by transgender people is deeply connected to the broader experiences of gender-based violence.
“By advocating for trans people to live authentically, we challenge the rigid gender norms that perpetuate inequality for everyone.
“Together, we can work toward a society where all people can live without fear and freely express themselves.”
Thorne Harbour Country provides support, counselling, rapid HIV testing, resources and information around LGBTIQ+ wellbeing, HIV, Hepatitis C and sexual health across the Loddon Mallee.
Operating out of the Community Hub, Thorne Harbour Country provides a safe place for the LGBTIQ+ community to connect and access information resources and referral services. To contact Thorne Harbour Country, call 4400 9000.