Candles were placed beneath names of trans people who have been killed this year, at a service at St Matthew-in-the-City

Today is the national Transgender Day of Remembrance.

On this day we celebrate the lives of those brothers and sisters who died due to discrimination, fear and hatred; those who were sex workers, those that have died of HIV, those who had taken a step to “out” themselves to a partner or lover, those who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and those who were going about their everyday business, those that committed suicide because there was no other way out; we honour you.

1. We honour you because you had the courage to live life as you saw fit, perhaps free from the bonds of discrimination, or so you thought
2. We honour you because of your mana, your wairua, your passion for life
3. We honour you because even you did not fear to tread where angels would not

We give thanks for the lives of our loved ones and remember what they meant to us, the fond & beautiful memories, the laughter, the joy their lives brought to us, what they taught us, what they shared with us means so much to each of us whose lives they touched.

Each of our lives has been touched by some form of discrimination; today’s world can still be cruel and unforgiving and has almost no room for tolerance or acceptance of trans individuals. We hope that our younger generations will never suffer the same fate.

May those who had their lives taken or could no longer go on either due to illness, discrimination, fear and hatred; let their beacon shine for those of us who remain. Let OUR younger TG generation somehow touch the lives of those who may cause us harm.

WE GIVE THANKS.