On November 20^th, Trans Day of Remembrance, PSAC mourns and commemorates the trans, two-spirit and non-binary people who have lost their lives to transphobia. We honour the work that is being done in communities across the world to combat transphobic violence.

The violence continues

Trans, two-spirit and non-binary people continue to face disproportionate rates of violence and discrimination. Recent studies show that:

• Over two-thirds (70%) of trans youth in Canada have experienced sexual harassment
• More than 1 in 3 (36%) trans youth report being physically threatened or injured in the past year
• Sixty-five percent of trans people have experienced domestic violence
• For racialized and indigenous trans people violence and discrimination is even worse: globally, 84% of trans people who were murdered in 2017 were racialized

PSAC works for trans inclusion

PSAC is working hard to eradicate violence and discrimination against trans workers. We have successfully bargained to include “gender identity” and/or “gender expression” in anti-discrimination clauses in 132 collective agreements.

In 2012, activists at a PSAC local won dedicated transition leave and coverage for medical costs related to transition. In 2013, our union started delivering workshops on defending trans rights to stewards and other members.

More recently, at PSAC’s 2015 triennial convention, delegates overwhelmingly voted to campaign for human rights protections for trans and gender variant people. This year, PSAC’s National Office in Ottawa instituted gender inclusive washrooms, alongside regional offices in PEI and Gatineau.

Trans, two-spirit and non-binary people are our co-workers, friends, family members and neighbors. On the Trans Day of Remembrance, we mourn and grieve together – and recommit to end violence against all trans people.