Birmingham transgender community in sombre city vigil as they say 'we are under attack'

A vigil was held in Birmingham city centre last night in rememberance of the 'more than 350 transgender and gender-diverse people' killed in the past year. The event, on Wednesday, November 20, was held to coincide with the international Transgender Day of Remembrance, a day to remember those who have been murdered as a result of transphobia.

Members of the transgender community told how their community was 'under attack' at the sombre ceremony in the city's Gay Village. Speakers at the Hurst Street vigil read out the names of more than 350 transgender and gender-diverse people who have been killed in 2024, according to a report released this week by the Trans Murder Monitoring project .

A minute's silence was also held at the event as candles were lit in solidarity with those who have lost their lives, and those who continue to struggle against transphobia. The Trans Murder Monitoring project attributed the deaths this year to a 'concerted efforts of anti-gender and anti-rights movements that instrumentalise and vilify trans people to push wider anti-democratic political agenda.'

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Melissa Poulton, who led the Birmingham congregation, said: "427 of our siblings have died in the last twelve months. We are being targeted, not just here but all around the world. We're here to mourn the dead and fight for the living. I’m just so grateful to have this opportunity."

Other members of the crowd took the mic to share their experiences of transphobia. "Remembrance is not enough, mourning is not enough," one speaker told the audience. "When governments target trans people, they’re targeting humanity itself. Our shared values of equality and compassion should rule."

Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDoR) was founded in 1999 in memory of Black transgender women Rita Hester and Chanelle Pickett, who were both murdered in Massachusetts. Marking the end of Transgender Awareness Week, TDoR memorials typically include a reading of the names of those who died from October 1 of the former year to September 30th of the current year.

Kim Taylor from Trans Pride Birmingham said it was important to observe Transgender Day of Remembrance in memory of those no longer with us. They said: "[We] had a few people say a few words and were basically mentioning some of the people that have died unfortunately, whether that’s through lack of healthcare or through ending their own lives, and this is an annual thing that’s happening across the UK.

"I think especially with how the world is at the minute, it’s even more important for us to band together, whether you’re an ally, trans, in the non-binary + community; it’s important for us to all be together and show that they can’t break us, and we’ll fight for those that are struggling and honour those that have tragically passed as well."