Submitted by Penny Sharpe on Mon, 20/11/2006 - 5:00pm.
Posted Monday 20 November 06
Today in parliament house a seminar was held to mark the 7th Annual Transgender Day of Remembrance. The day is an international event that remembers those who have been killed as a result of anti transgender violence.
Kate Walker gave a paper on transphobia and it’s origins. This was followed by the first time showing of a film called A Girl Like Me: The Gwen Araujo Story.
I participated in a panel. Panelists and audience members discussed a number of issues. Of particular importance was the level of violence, harassment and intimidation that transgender people suffer on a daily basis.
Other issues that were raised were the need for anti discrimination laws, the difficulties experienced when you fall in between state and federal laws (eg in relation to the issuing of passports), the need for early education and the need for public campaigns that support equality.
The NSW Labor government passed laws that provide specific recognition of discrimination against transgender people in 1996. These laws created a new offence of transgender vilification.