Trans Remembrance Day and Federal Equal Opportunity Law
PROPOSED FEDERAL LAW A WELCOME STEP ON TRANSGENDER REMEMBRANCE DAY
“Legislation that assists transgender people is welcome …the basic human loss is of course the biggest crime…”
TransGender Victoria welcomes the release, on Transgender Day of Remembrance, of an exposure draft regarding federal equal opportunity law and looks forward to working with federal MPs and other parties to ensure the legislation achieves best practice.
“Legislation that is positive for transgender people is welcome. Previous experience shows equal opportunity law, while it may not directly address violence can be, to use Martin Luther King’s words, a case of ‘the law may not change the heart, but it may restrain the heartless'” stated spokesperson Sally Goldner.
Transgender Day of Remembrance first took place in 1998 following the murder of trans woman Rita Hester and is now marked in over 140 cities. Transgender Europe reports 265 known trans murders worldwide over the last year as part of 1083 murders in the last 5 years.
“This senseless waste is a travesty on every level. The basic human loss is of course the biggest crime; we ask people to consider the amazing potential of people such as Lana Wachowski of ‘The Matrix’ fame and Lynn Conway, a computer genius, and ask ‘how much potential does the human race lose due to such hate?”
Goldner added the draft’s inclusion of sexual orientation was welcome as trans people can experience multiple forms of discrimination. Also, TransGender Victoria, while not representing people experiencing intersex, would naturally welcome coverage of intersex that met with approval of intersex people and would offer whatever support was possible to achieve that aim.
Goldner concluded “we look forward to working with all relevant parties, including politicians from across the political spectrum, to ensure effective and respectful wording that covers of all people of diverse sex and gender and enhances our quality of life in many ways – including the basic right to physical safety.”
For more information contact Sally Goldner, spokesperson TransGender Victoria 0407 946 242
For more on transgender Day of Remembrance see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transgender_Day_of_Remembrance
http://www.tgeu.org/265_Trans_People_killed_in_last_12_Months
