This year, there have been sixteen killings of transgender people, and three of them were shot in Jacksonville, Florida. After each of these shootings there have been vigils and protests. Activist groups are coming together to try to call for better relationships between the police force and the LGBTQ+ community. The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, or JSO, is investigating, but they refuse to use the victim's preferred name and pronouns, saying it's because they never had their names legally changed. The JSO believes that the shootings had to do more with "prostitution related activities" rather than the fact that they were transgender, but activist organizations are arguing that trans individuals can get put in that position due to factors like job discrimination. In Seattle, changes have been made to improve relations between the police and the LGBT community, and advocates are hoping to start making changes in Jacksonville.
The LGBTQ+ community has had a constant struggle with oppression throughout history. In 1926, police raided Stonewall inn, a gay club in New York City. They arrested thirteen people, beat up customers, and checked suspected cross-dressers to see if they were dressing as their sex (at that time, it was illegal to wear three or more items of clothing that didn't match your sex). This raid led to five more days of protests. Although this wasn't the beginning of the gay rights movement, it spurred activism for LGBT issues, just like the recent shootings have. It is critical that people are aware of these shootings. Many people who aren't part of the LGBT+ community don't have the slightest idea of what trans people go through, especially trans people of color. Better relationships start with communication, so activists are speaking up to make a difference in the police force.
https://www.npr.org/2018/09/01/641571680/transgender-killings-spur-calls-for-police-reform
I hate that people are losing their lives for trying to come together and being who they feel they should be. I never thought about job discrimination when it came to the LGBT+ community and your post opened my eyes to that. I hope that one day people could be comfortable with being who they are and not have to worry about getting killed or being unemployed because of it.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Daviah. This country is a melting pot, there are different religions, cultures, and even genders. It is truly horrid that because one person disagrees with someone else's sexuality, he/she gets to get rid of them. We should be able to live without the fear of being killed or injured, even if we are different than others.
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ReplyDeleteI'd like to see some hard evidence that suggests a systematic oppression of transgender individuals by police forces in the Unites States, as I, in my very extensive research in politics and affairs, have not been able to find any. Thanks for the blog, but I tend to disagree on the motives of the shootings. I'd be happy to have a discussion about the LGBTQAAIIPS2+ community with you.
ReplyDeleteThis comment originally had a typo, so I deleted it and reposted.
I’m totally open to discussing trans issues with you. I would like to point out, that as a cisgender girl, I do not experience what it’s like to be trans, and from what you’ve told me, you are cisgender too (seriously though, if you aren’t, just tell me and I’ll use your correct pronouns). While I cannot speak from experience, I can provide articles and statistics that highlight the oppression of trans people.
ReplyDeleteThis source goes into the meaning of transgender and the challenges they face, including discrimination from police.
https://www.hrc.org/resources/understanding-the-transgender-community
This article is about transgender history, and if you look at the caption under the second picture, you can see the charges made against these trans people.
https://www.historians.org/publications-and-directories/perspectives-on-history/may-2018/what-is-trans-history-from-activist-and-academic-roots-a-field-takes-shape
This article goes specifically into violence against trans people.
https://www.hrc.org/resources/violence-against-the-transgender-community-in-2018
This PDF discusses discrimination against trans people by the police. It includes changes that have been made, and changes that need to be made.
https://www.transequality.org/sites/default/files/docs/resources/NCTE%20Federal%20Blueprint%20Chapter%206%20Police%20and%20Ending%20Violence.pdf
This is the Hate Crime Data Collection Guidelines and Training Manual. This trans-inclusive Manuel was issued by the FBI in 2012. I would like you to look at specifically pages 56-58. This manual determines what is considered a hate crime against an individual in the transgender community.
https://ucr.fbi.gov/hate-crime-data-collection-guidelines-and-training-manual.pdf
I understand that this goes into more depth than police-related oppression. I wanted to include the other information, because it stresses how real and how terrible the oppression against the transgender community is, especially trans people of color. Just look up “trans death statistics”, and multiple articles pop up, emphasizing how deadly it can be to be a trans person in today’s society. All of this information ties together. Due to the fact that trans people often struggle to gain legal protection, many end up in poverty. This leads them to take risky and possibly illegal jobs just to allow them to survive. The fact that there is a PDF about reforming police proves that there is discrimination against trans people from the police force. There is a whole section in the FBI manual about trans hate crimes. Trans oppression is real, and the first step to tearing it down is recognizing that it exists. In addition, just being a supportive ally will help so much. Using the correct pronouns will make trans people safer, as that will normalize it in society. ***the FBI issued manual states that the correct pronouns of victims must be used, so if government officials can do it, you can too.
I hope this helped your understanding of trans-based oppression. If not, my brother would be happy to assist :)
I never thought a person would set out to bury someone 18 feet under, but damn sis u grabbed ur shovel and went for it
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