I want you to take some time today to show all of the dark skinned, fat, disabled, GNC, and so-called “ugly” trans folks that you give just as much of a shit about our lives and struggles as you do this conventionally attractive, young, white person.
I want you to understand why so many of us who belong to marginalized communities are not celebrating this “coming out” with y’all. Yeah, this includes other trans & queer folks, too.
I would like you to know that it took just 7 months this year for the number of murdered trans people to double. As of November, more than 350 trans people have been killed across the globe. More than 30 of those murders took place here. More than 71% of these murders took place in the victim’s own home. These are just the reported cases.
I need you to know that out of those 350+ murders, 98% of the victims were trans women. In the US., Black trans women have a 1 in 10 chance of being the target of violence. At least 79% of the trans people murdered so far in 2020 were Black, and 40% of all murders of trans people were women of color.
Finally, I need you to stop elevating the voices and experiences of conventionally attractive white celebrities over everyone else in our communities. Celebrating this news is your right and I am happy for Page, but they have been positioning themselves as a champion of our communities for years now and it’s having the same Caitlin Jenner effect: y’all will watch them in movies or on TV, but you won’t show up for our BIPoC trans sisters.
We deserve to be safe & happy, even when you don’t want to fuck us.
Sources
“An Epidemic of Violence” (2020) from USA Today
“Misogynoir: The Unique Discrimination That Black Women Face” (2020) from Forbes
“Murdered, Suffocated, and Burned Alive” (2020) from Forbes
“Murders of Transgender People” (2020) from Advocates for Trans Equality