Over the last year (if my count is correct), at least 72 individuals have been killed for being transgender. If you care about this subject at all, I recommend that you at least click on that link and look through the listings. See some of the faces of the people who have suffered and died because there are elements in this world that have no understanding for anyone who might be different, and whose gender does not fit some supposedly divinely ordained dualistic template.
There are some deities, however, who include trans people amongst their ranks and amongst their children, and who know that gender diversity is a divine thing. Today, I pray to them, and entrust the care and the memory of these individuals taken from life to them–the Tetrad: Panpsyche, Panhyle, Paneros, and Pancrates.
May Panpsyche soothe their souls, and make their names to be remembered.
May Panhyle give bodily strength to their friends and families.
May Paneros give them the love they were not shown in life.
May Pancrates turn our grief into strength for the community.
Panpsyche, Panhyle, Paneros, Pancrates;
Panpsyche, Panhyle, Paneros, Pancrates;
Panpsyche, Panhyle, Paneros, Pancrates;
Panpsyche, Panhyle, Paneros, Pancrates.
I look forward to a time when there are no further names added to this list.
I am struck by how many of those incidents took place in Brazil. I am also struck that two of the people memorialized were from my home, Baltimore, Maryland.
By: Mam Adar on November 20, 2012
at 12:14 pm
Likewise, I was surprised that Brazil was represented so often in that list. I had thought it was a rather liberal, forward-thinking place; and given the pageantry, fun, and enjoyment of Carnivale and its gender variance, and the prevalence of Candomble in Brazilian culture (which has traditionally been pretty fair and open toward various gender and sexually diverse people), it’s really sad to think that transphobic murder is such an epidemic there.
By: aediculaantinoi on November 20, 2012
at 10:54 pm
There have been incidents in past years from San Francisco. Over the past five years, I’ve counted at least two SF murders. Nowhere can be considered totally safe for trans people.
By: Ruadhán on November 21, 2012
at 12:43 pm
I think the count I saw from the TransRespect Project was 265 confirmed murders this year…and for every one we know about, there are an unknown number of trans* victims that go unrecognized
By: Elizabeth on November 24, 2012
at 4:24 am
I’m sure the larger number is correct–the website I looked at only listed those 70-some individuals with a few further details about each (though some were unidentified). It’s sad that we can count on underestimating the numbers consistently…
By: aediculaantinoi on November 24, 2012
at 5:02 pm