AN art installation set up in front of the big Bendigo sign on Sunday has marked Trans Day of Remembrance.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Organiser, Zara Jones, said the event was aimed at raising awareness about things there were happening around the world, and closer to home.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe had a lot of people looking at this installation with curiosity and speaking to us about the impact of attitudes in the community,\u201d she said<\/p>\n
\u201cWe 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.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe shouldn\u2019t be disregarding the impact of mental health challenges that come from all these comments and attitudes. It doesn\u2019t have to be physical violence that impacts on people.<\/p>\n
\u201cTransgender diverse people are overrepresented in suicide statistics. So there\u2019s a lot more harm being caused by stigmatised behaviours.\u201d<\/p>\n
However, Ms Jones also said that things are improving for trans and gender diverse communities.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith each generation there is a softening of what we will accept and what we will work towards,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs the older generations who have been taught particular way to behave [move on], the next generation under them see that\u2019s not quite the best way to do things.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re becoming more educated, more connected, and that\u2019s giving us the opportunity, for each new generation, to see more and grow more.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is really important to recognise that, yes, we still have a long way to go, but there is hope.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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. […]<\/p>\n