Some Die
Some die.
Some have been executed by the government or state judiciary of the country they live in.
Some have been persecuted and murdered by the government of the country they live in.
Some have been persecuted by the government of the country they live in, and have died in prison. Either murdered by the authorities or other prisoners. Or dying through ill treatment or the harsh conditions. Or giving in and taking their own lives. Or simply dying of illness or natural causes while serving unjust sentences.
Some have died attempting to flee persecution, bigotry and hatred. Attempting to find a better life for themselves, where they can express who they are freely, but perishing on the journey.
Some have been murdered by being persecuted and attacked by bigoted people.
Some have been persecuted to the point that their health fails and they die.
Some have been persecuted to the point where it gets too much, and they take their own lives.
Some have found the only way to try to survive, is through sex work and they have died as a result of that. Either murdered because their life is seen as worthless, or dying of sexualIy transmitted diseases.
Some have died from poverty or homelessness, a situation that exists entirely because of who and what they are.
Some have found themselves in exploitative relationships and lost their life as a consequence.
Some have found themselves in abusive relationships and died as a result of domestic violence by partners.
Some have died as a result of sexual encounters where the person they been intimate with, has been unable to reconcile their own sexuality and desires, and blaming them, has lashed out and killed them.
Some have found themselves in situations where they have been blackmailed because of who they are, and felt no option but to take their own life.
Some have taken their own lives, worn down by the constant bigotry they face in society.
Some have taken their own lives because they tire of not being able to express their true selves. Either having to completely deny themselves the opportunity to be their true selves, or from the strain of having to keep their reality a secret and spending much of their life living in a closet.
Some have died in despair, having opened up about who they are to friends and family and found rejection.
Some die from attempting to self medicate themselves with drugs and hormones to try to be their true selves, with no medical oversight to guide and monitor them.
Some die to medical complications during difficult and invasive surgery or it's aftermath.
Some die because they can't access medical or psychological treatment and they give in.
Some die waiting for medical or psychological treatment that they are entitled to, but the waiting times are ridiculously long, even before the first steps are reached.
Some die.
And those that die are our brothers or sisters.
Dying because they are transgender.
Simply dying because of what and who they are.
And those of us who are transgender, remember them.
And we ask others to remember them too.
Because everyone in society has the right to be who they are, and to be able to live out their life, free from persecution, bigotry, exploitation, violence, and ignorance.
Some die.
We all die.
But no one should die just because of their gender differences.
Deeanna Williams
A non-binary Tgirl
Dee, this is such a stark and powerful piece of writing.
ReplyDeleteThe repetition of “Some die” hits with awful clarity, a reminder of just how many different ways trans people are pushed to the margins, harmed, or lost simply for existing.
It’s heartbreaking to see the list laid out so plainly, and yet it’s important that it is laid out, because so much of this suffering is kept invisible.
What you’ve written honours those lives with honesty rather than abstraction. It refuses to soften what happened to them, and that truthfulness is part of remembrance too.
Your final line, that no one should die because of their gender differences, is so simple, so obvious, and yet still so far from reality in so many places.
Thank you for giving voice to this today. It’s painful, but it’s necessary. And your words ensure they are not forgotten.
Thank you for reading it and commenting on it. It is stark and I found it difficult to write as a transgender person. But at a time when our country, that led the way in transgender rights, is rolling back those rights, dramatically, I felt it was important to lay out in very basic terms, why we have a Transgender Day Of Remembrance. I doubt I will ever be quite so dramatic in my posts again, but for this tome it felt right.
DeleteDee xx
Thank you, Dee. A difficult read but appropriate. Sue xx
ReplyDeleteThanks Sue. It was difficult writing this piece. But I felt that as transgendered people, we observe Transgender Day Of Remembrance but it's easy to lose sight of the reasons we have to remember those who have lost their lives. And it isn't about those who are transgendered and have passed away as we all will one day, but it's about remembering those who lost their lives because they are trans. And those reasons are horrible. But with the UK government now actively pursuing an anti trans agenda, that is already leading to an increase in anti trans hatred, I decided that it's necessary to be brutally honest about things.
DeleteDee xxx
It’s heavy seeing it laid out like this, but it’s real. And honestly, pieces like this remind me why TDOR hits the way it does. It’s not abstract. It’s a list of all the ways people like us get worn down or pushed out.
ReplyDeleteThanks for reading it, and for your comment. It broke my heart a little writing such a brutally honest piece, but I felt it was important for me to do this, just once in my life. Unlike most remembrance events that take place around this time of the year, TDOR isn't about remembering those who sacrificed their today, for us to have a tomorrow. It's about those who are victims of brutality, bigotry, and ignorance. I hope that one day we can stop adding to the list of those we have to remember.
ReplyDeleteDee xxx