The Journey to TDOR

Categories: uncategorized

Date: 11 October 2012 10:13:38

A team of us are working together on a local event for the International Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR). This annual day where the lives and deaths of people who have died either at their own hand or the hand of others as a result of anti-transgender violence or attitudes is marked around the 20th November each year. This website lists some of the locations where events are taking place, which in the UK includes Liverpool (on 18th November) as well as Milton Keynes on 20th. I understand that, as has happened in the past, Brighton is also holding an event.

I would invite others who work with/ are in relationship with trans and cis gendered people to support them in setting up such events or attending the local remembrance event if there is already one set up in your area. It is important to remember this is an event for the trans community and those of us who are privileged enough to be allies should work to empower and support our trans friends as appropriate whilst seeking to fade into the background.

In terms of understanding the experience of Transgender people last month the results of the UK's largest ever survey into the experience of transgendered people were launched in this report  which had a number of sponsors including Scottish Transgender Alliance.

Relating back to the TDOR events and the experiences behind them one part of the report relating to daily experience had a table which showed 92% of respondents had experienced hearing trans people are not normal, 81% had experienced silent harassment such as staring and whispering, 76% felt that being trans hurt or embarrassed their family, 73% had been made fun of or called names as a result of being trans, 38% had experienced physical intimidation and threats as a result of being trans, 25% had had to move away from friends or family and 19% said they had been hit or beaten up for being trans.

What was particularly shocking was that 84% of respondents had thought about ending their life at some point. The numbers who wanted to end their lives was significantly lower post-transition. 65% of the respondents (and so the majority of respondents who had thought about suicide at some point) felt that their suicidal thoughts had been linked to trans related reasons.

In terms of the support trans people received the majority 86% were not connected with a church or temple. Of the total respondents 5% felt very supported by this organisation, 4% felt somewhat supported,  1% felt not very supported and 3% felt not supported at all. That means amongst those who were part of faith communities about one third felt they were not very or not at all supported.

Support is particularly important because mental health problems are greatest before and during transition and there is a huge demand upon services. 58% of respondents felt that the waiting time involved for appointments worsened their mental health or emotional well being. This is something that Karl and I understand. It is sometime since the forms from Charing Cross were sent back but we are still awaiting Karl's initial appointment with Charing Cross to come through. We know that it is going to be well into next spring before he is likely to be seen but there is the anxiety of not knowing how long that wait is going to be. That "not knowing" is very difficult and sometimes stressful when you are wanting to get on with the rest of your life but seeking to be sensible in making plans because you know of the change ahead.

Homelessness issues are also high amongst trans people, 19% of respondents had reported being homeless at some point.

The research was primarily aimed at the bodies engaged in social policy planning, particularly the medical profession. However, I think it is a report which the church (in the broad and denominational sense) needs to engage with in terms of both the provision of pastoral care and theologically in terms of the issues raised. Supporting local TDOR events can be one way of doing this. There is also a need for us to find out the stories of those respondents who had been part of supportive faith communities and for their leaders to share good practice. This is something that I am sure many clergy would appreciate as much as the transgender community (this post last month on Eternal Echoes together with this later one by the same writer explain why this sharing of good practice is vital).