From NYC shout out loud to end hate towards transgender people

From the steps of New York City Hall, in Lower Manhattan, a very powerful and consistent cry was heard this week directed at the city, the country and the world: Let’s end the hate towards transgender people!

This call was made in the final stretch of the Week against Transphobiaa program of the Latino Commission on AIDS and the Oasis Community Pride Centerwhich offers clinical sexual health services to Latino communities in the Big Apple.

Under the slogan “I choose to love…”, for the fourth consecutive year, from New York City, an important space for reflection was generated to promote challenges and integrate different organizations, on the thorny path of overcome hate, rejection and fear to this segment of the LGBTQ community.

“This year alone, there have been at least 32 murders of ‘trans’ people in the U.S. What number should we wait for others to stand next to us and tell us:Not one more!?, said Samantha Montemayorsexual health counselor at the Oasis Center.

The spokespersons of the organizations that joined this demonstration, shouting ‘Zero Transphobia’, highlighted that in the last ten years, progress has continued in other states of the country, which they describe as a series of “legislative attacks”.

“Texas just released last week, a bill that would punish parents of ‘trans’ youth for helping their children to find gender-affirming care. What these people who wage these attacks do not realize is that we have been fighting all our lives. They are behind us, we have an advantage!, he asserted in his speech Joaquín Carcano, activist with the Latino Commission on AIDS.

The discrimination in places of employment, access to housing and systematic hate attacksare just part of the list of “everyday tragedies”, which highlights this movement, which was joined by The New Pride Agenda, Make The Road NY, TQLM Family, Latinos in the South, Translatix, Aids Center of Queens, Hope and Transgressing .

“In 2019, after the death of Layleen Polanco, the City of New York commissioned a task force on the issues facing ‘trans’ people when incarcerated. We have numerous obstacles to the success of the task force. We are asking this municipal administration to support us!” Shear Avoryspokesperson at The Pride Agenda.

Aggressions, insults and discrimination

“Why be afraid of us and hate us? Still here in New York despite the giant political advances and legislation, we have many obstacles to overcome. In the last five years we have recorded 34 violent attacks focused on some Queens neighborhoods”, he asserted bianey garcia a trans rights organizer with the organization Make The Road NY.

Bianey, who is a transgender woman, points out that many transgender people continue to be the targets of a series of attacks, insults and discrimination in the Big Apple, but are very afraid to approach police officers to report it.

“That is why it is important that we chart a path to unite and demand dignified treatment. We are also seeing that thousands of ‘trans’ people are trying to cross the border. Running away from dire situations. And they run into a big wall in the country. This movement against transphobia is just beginning”, stressed the activist.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly 1 million people identify as transgender in the United States.

The Data:

50 transgender deaths and not conforming to their gender tracked in 2021 the Human Rights Campaign (HRC).

clarifying terms

• transgender person
• A person whose gender identity or expression does not match the sex assigned at birth. transgender man:
• a person who was assigned the female sex at birth but identifies as a person of the male gender. Transgender woman:
• a person who was assigned the male sex at birth but identifies as a person of the female gender. gender expression:
• external presentation made by people of their gender (for example, the way they act or dress). Gender identity:

people’s internal understanding of their own gender.