A day of ‘resilience’ – Let’s honour the lives lost to anti-transgender violence – Vulavou

Let us honour the lives of the many transgender and gender non-conforming people in Fiji and the Pacific who have been taken from us by violence rooted in bias, hate, and intolerance.

This is the message from Pacific Sexual and Gender Diversity Network (PSGDN) CEO Isikeli Vulavou as the world commemorates Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDoR) today under the theme ‘resilience’.

In a statement, TDoR is celebrated to honour the memory of people who have been murdered, often very brutally, in anti-transgender violence and for challenging ideas about what it means to be male or female, or something else.

“The theme is very reflective of Pacific Islanders, and the day is a great opportunity for the region to pause and remember those we have lost,” Mr Vulalou said.

“It is also to help raise awareness about the persistent transphobia, stigma, and discrimination experienced by the trans-community in the Pacific and the urgent need for something to be done about it.

He said in Fiji and the Pacific – transgender and gender non-conforming people continue to be subjected to staggering levels of violence, verbal abuse and harassment, and discrimination on the basis of their gender identity or expression.

“We can’t deny that the Pacific has a very rich cultural history which was inclusive of transgender and gender diverse people, however, their existence has been overshadowed by colonialism which attempted to erase them, leading to the structural discrimination, violence, and stigma that they face today.

“Transgender individuals continue to face barriers to justice and persistent stigmatisation, as well as marginalisation and underrepresentation across health, employment, economic, and social systems, and these have been worsened by the multiple waves of the COVID-19 pandemic – despite all the efforts and awareness-raising by transgender and LGBTQI civil rights groups, many Pacific countries continue to criminalise LGBTQI people, creating an environment of fear and installing systemic barriers to freedom, equality, and just living.

“Health services are devoid of specific transgender health services and lack of gender recognition for them as they continue to be forcefully lumped together with women and men.”

Mr Vulavou is calling on the Pacific Island leaders, parliamentarians, and lawmakers to combat the disturbing proliferation of discriminatory state legislation targeting transgender people and criminalizing them.