(Life, Love, and Longevity Is Greatness Breaking Through)
Not being charged, bomb threats, beatings, choke holds, "he seemed older than he was," "I was fearful of my life." The year 2014 has, indeed, been a trying year. So many crimes against people, particularly by vigilantes and law enforcement, have happened over the year. It feels like a new type of Jim Crow, not only for black men, but on women and the transgendered. Yes, Michael Brown and Eric Garner has sparked a "Black Lives Matter" movement, as it should. These tragic killings at the hands of those sworn to protect the people have further separated them from us as far as distrust in the criminal justice system is concerned. But, a lot of other murders and assaults have occurred in the transgender community. A lot of society is confused or indifferent about the transgender community; what is misunderstood may not garner a lot of attention or empathy.
According to The Transgender Violence Tracking Portal (TVTP), every 38 hours, a transgendered person is murdered; and, "only 6% of the world" reports their statistics to the TVTP. TVTP has followed the murders and other instances of violence against transgendered people since May 2014, including the murders of Tiffany Edwards in Cincinnati, Ohio and Kandi Hall in Maryland; a transgendered teenager, who was held in an adult prison without being formally charged with a crime; and violent attacks against trans-women in Indiana, at a Seattle and California Pride Parade, and in Atlanta Georgia (an attacker later boasted of his attack on the transgendered female in the California attack). That's just the attacks that were reported (transgenderviolence.org, 2014). Those who were caught in these crimes were not charged; namely, "no gender identity hate crime charges" were sought. Understandably, many in the transgendered community may be afraid to come forward about attacks because of harassment, misunderstandings about what it is to be transgendered, and they face retaliation or violence. Murders and other crimes may be unreported; and, people who commit these crimes are under-prosecuted because law enforcement may be reluctant to differentiate between, or are indifferent to or untrained on sexual orientation and gender identity (transgenderviolence.org, 2014). Because of this, many prosecutors do not seek hate crime charges against those who attack or murder transgendered individuals.
What can be done to raise awareness in mainstream media on the rights of the transgendered? Will there be a movement for not only the transgendered, but also the LGB and Q community?
One thing I have been big on from nay high is music and other art forms. Realistically, music and other art forms have been a platform since forever. It was a major form during slavery, especially important for the Underground Railroad, where songs were used as a form of code to lead runaway slaves to special points. It was big in the 1950s and 1960s for the Civil Rights Movement. One thing I loved about the Civil Rights Movement was how artists used music to be a rallying cry to bring awareness to what was happening in the black community. Even in the early 1990s, you had artists like NWA and Public Enemy rapping against what plighted us at that time: cop violence. And you had people like Gordon Parks, who photographed certain aspects of black life during that time.
It seems that some of today's mainstream artists are different from the artists of the 1950s-1970s in that music isn't used as a tool to uplift and bring awareness to issues that affect so many. There are so many powerful voices that can shed light on these issues. Conscientious artists seem to be a dying breed. Yes, many use social media tools like Twitter, especially Black Twitter, to speak out against violence and intolerance. If not for Twitter, there would be so many issues not talked about in the media, including Michael Brown, the LGBTQ and sex worker communities. But, music is a universal language that can span generations and nations.
Today, our generation, and generations after us, have the opportunity to be the new Marcus Garveys, Malcolm X's, Ghandis, and Kings. We can be the new Rosa Parks, Fannie Lou Hamers, and Sylvesters of our time. Indeed, Twitter and many other forms of social media are our Freedom Songs, our means of showing the world what we are about and what we stand against. May we continue to use them wisely, not only for fun, but also for fighting injustice and using our voice for uplifting and positive vibes.
One love!
REFERENCE:
Transgender Violence Escalates in 2014 in US. From http://www.transviolencetracker.org/index.php/articles/103-reports-of-transgender-violence-escalates-in-2014 (ACCESSED December 9, 2014)
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