Today is Transgender Remembrance Day. That is not to be confused with March 31 which is the Transgender Day of Visibility which is needed because organisations such as the BBC absolutely never ever mention the transgender community (0.2% of the population). Today we remember those who have been killed for being trans. My hero Peter Tatchell tweets:
RIP! #TransgenderDayOfRemembrance. In the past 12 months, 350 trans & gender-diverse people were reported killed globally. A total of 3,664 trans & gender-diverse people were reported killed in 75 countries between 2008 & 2020. End anti-trans violence! Protect trans people! #TDoR
It is a noble cause and so let’s celebrate this day. But there is another minority which seems to suffer the odd killing: Christians. According to a 2019 report, 11 Christians a day are killed purely for their faith in the world’s 50 most Christian hostile countries. That works out at c4,000 a year. So when do we commemorate these latter day martyrs? Er….
I suppose we celebrate all the dead on All Souls day (November 2nd) but there is not yet a specific world celebration or day of remembrance for those butchered for being of the Christian faith. There are suggestions that June 29th be made such a day as in the past churches around the world remembered the deaths of the apostles Peter and Paul on that date.
But being a Christian is not a very fashionable minority is it? And June 29th is a day after the Stonewall anniversary and so at the heart of LGBT Pride Month so maybe such a Christian festival would not be quite as “visible” as some other celebrations? What do you think?