Elder Charlotte Nolin
Rady community honours transgender lives
More than 60 faculty, staff, students and community members attended a Transgender Day of Remembrance ceremony on the Bannatyne campus on Nov. 20.
Part of Trans Awareness Month in Canada, the day is observed internationally each year to remember transgender people who have been lost to transphobic violence, suicide and other violent deaths.
At the event, the names of 15 Canadians who died tragically in the last year were read out, with some of the names provided by registered attendees.
“It’s important to understand the question is not about the number of names on the list. Even one name is too many and justifies a solemn day of remembrance like today,” said Kagowa Kuruneri, director of the Rady Faculty Office of Equity, Access and Participation.
“Even more so, we know that these names are only a partial record. Others are not only lost to us, but hidden to us – hidden by issues and biases in the data … and by secrecy, by individuals not being able to be open and be their true selves.”
Kuruneri hosted the event, which was organized by her office, Ongomiizwin – Indigenous Institute of Health and Healing and the Queer and Trans Health Sciences Graduate Student Group.
Elder Charlotte Nolin, a two-spirit Elder-in-residence at Ongomiizwin, noted this was the first time the faculty held a Transgender Day of Remembrance event.
“It won’t be the last,” she said.
Nolin shared some of her own spiritual journey and urged those in attendance to speak out when they witness discrimination toward trans people.
“What I ask of each and every one of you, as you move forward from this day, is if you’re in polite society or you’re at home with your family and somebody says a derogatory term for trans folks, that you will speak up,” she said.
Other speakers included Minister of Health, Seniors and Long-Term Care Uzoma Asagwara and Dr. Peter Nickerson, vice-provost (health sciences) and dean of Rady Faculty of Health Sciences.
Asagwara is the first non-binary MLA in Manitoba and has a background in psychiatric nursing. They said Nov. 20 is a solemn day that carries a lot of weight.
“It is really important for government to be very clear on days like this about how we feel, where we stand on issues that relate to the 2SLGBTQ+, specifically trans and two-spirit communities,” Asagwara said.
“This is a day for us to reflect on those who are no longer with us, but it is also an important day to reflect on what we can do to ensure that as many of the people in our communities as possible remain here, that they know every space that they enter has them in mind.”
Nickerson said it is important that all people on campus feel that they can be their authentic selves.
“We teach that there is no place in health care for any form of bias, prejudice or discrimination. Beyond that, we expect our students and graduates to be committed allies for equity, seeking to be advocates of social justice and human rights,” he said.
“With fundamental rights under threat in many parts of the world, it is more important than ever that we support the safety of transgender, non-binary and gender-diverse people.”
Following the ceremony, attendees were invited to the Medicine Garden, Mashkiki Gitigaan, for a sacred fire and to offer tobacco.