Post Punk Kitchen Forum

Today is the 12th Annual Trans* Day of Remembrance. A day in which we remember and honour those who were taken too soon, due to hate, bigotry, intolerance and violence. A day in which I as an ally pledge to fight hatred, to combat stereotypes, to use my voice and my privilege to create safer spaces for those who cannot, for those who know a danger I will never know simply for living truthfully.

For a great post on TDOR see The Curvature. For more information on TDOR see http://www.transgenderdor.org/

If you are Canadian, please write your MP, demanding that they support a bill to give trans* folk protection under federal human rights and hate crime legislation: http://petition.web.net/psac/node/47

As people start to come out as Trans* earlier and earlier, it's important that we teach acceptance and fight bigotry.

I'm so not into TDOR.

Gay people get a big happy pride parade. Trans people get a forking mass funeral, reminding us yet again of all the people in the world who want us dead and how unsafe it is for us to go out in public? What the hell is up with that?

I'm just venting...I'm not upset with anyone for participating in TDOR or posting about it or anything.

j-dub, I really appreciated that you phrased it as "due to hate, bigotry, intolerance and violence" instead of "for being transgender" or "for having the courage to be themselves" (*barf*) or something else like that which blames the victim -- I'm always glad to see when allies use language that makes it clear that the violence is occurring because of people who are hateful, not because of people who are trans. So thank you for that. I'm glad to have you as an ally, even if I can't stand TDOR. :)

I keep trying to think of a way to eloquently follow this so that I'm not just sitting here pointing and going "Yes. This."
But I keep failing - very well said choirqueer. There was always something that bugged me about the former two phrasings, and I couldn't say what it was - something other than the nauseating cheesiness of 'courage to be yourself' (seriously, what.) - but you've finally pointed it out to me. Danke schön.

I declare Nov. 22 Trans Pride Day. To hell with parades, we got cookies and cats making waffles.

I think cookies and waffles are much more celebratory than the dirge-like atmosphere of every TDOR event I've ever attended.

I hadn't thought of TDOR in those terms before, choirqueer, but now that you say it, that is right on point...(to be expected though, as choirqueer is wise)

Mmm, sounds good to me.

Here in Portland though, there is a trans pride march, it's called 'Gender Free For All'. It's a couple days after the Pride Parade if I am not mistaken...

That's what I'm talking about, and exactly why I study/work with cognitive linguistics. Language matters! Framing matters! Etc. Choirqueer: you are all sorts of awesome for pointing this out and making it clear.