Transgender Day of Remembrance Report

by Katherine Cummings

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The only Politicial that attended was Senator Lee Rhiannon of the Federal Greens.

The Transgender Day of Remembrance in 2011 was held for the second time in Parliament House, courtesy of Penny Sharpe, M.L.A. We hoped to achieve formal observance of the day with respect for those who have lost their lives to violence in the past year and all previous years and to draw the attention of the public to the T.D.O.R. and the reasons for it. We also hoped to involve politicians, jurists and influential members of the public. Press releases were sent to print media, radio and television stations.

The observance was set for Friday 18 November, as 20 November was a Sunday and the Parliament House amenities would not have been available.

We met in the Waratah Room at 1:30pm and light refreshments were served between 1:30pm and 2:00pm. We had hoped for a turnout of 60 or 70 but the highest turnout counted was forty.

The only politician who came was Senator Lee Rhiannon from the Federal Greens. Chief Superintendent Donna Adney arrived with four Gay and Lesbian Liaison Officers (G.L.L.O.s). The remainder of the guests were mainly from the transgender community, and members of service organisations serving the transgender community.

There was only one journalist, from SX, who took photogaphs and conducted some interviews. Irina Pollard, Associate Professor of Biological Sciences at Macquarie University also attended with her partner. Professor Pollard has been teaching a course in reproductive biology for more than twenty years, using guest speakers who are transgender or Intersex.

Proceedings opened with an address by Chief Superintendent Adney, who spoke of the need for violence to be resisted by a combination of city officials, the police force, specialist organisations such as the Inner City Legal Centre (I.C.L.C.) and the Gender Centre, as well as the community as a whole.

She was followed by Roberta Perkins, who dealt with changes in society over the past thirty years with regard to the rights of marginalised groups, of the progress we have made and the progress we have yet to make.

The last programmed speaker was Donna Macklan, a transwoman confined to a wheelchair who was bashed earlier this year. She spoke eloquently of her ordeal (a deliberate ambush by a group of bigots) and her need to achieve safety and security in her future accommodation.

Her ordeal took place in Wagga and she has since moved to Sydney. The floor was thrown open to speakers from the audience and we heard brief accounts of violence and victimisation from Julia, Edwina, norrie, Jessica and Che. Che spoke about the Transgender Anti-Violence Project and drew attention to the availability of "End Transphobic Violence" ribbons, T.A.V.P. postcards and other informational documents. Our thanks to Liz Ceissman who took photographs of record. Thanks also to Parliament House staff member, Danny Heldal, who was very helpful and cooperative in preparing the meeting place and arranging for a lectern and microphones

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