"It is not our differences that divide us; it is our inability to recognize, accept, and celebrate those differences." - Audre Lorde
These words continue to manifest as transgender individuals continue to experience discrimination; as their existence is still being shamed, hated, and looked down on; and as their rights continue to be stomped upon, and their lives continue to be claimed.
With this, the Transgender Day of Remembrance, which aims to remember the lives that were taken due to violence as a result of transphobia, becomes a yearly commemoration celebrated every 20th of November.
In the Philippines, it is revealed that between 2010 and 2020, at least 50 transgender or gender non-binary Filipinos were murdered. However, beyond the headlines and statistics exist obscure and more heart-wrenching tragedies.
Them who shall never be forgotten
The case of Jennifer Laude, the transwoman killed by US marine soldier Joseph Scott Pemberton in Olongapo City in 2014, perhaps became a catalyst—intensifying the always-consistent calls for change, acceptance, and inclusivity; and drawing more attention to the prevalent issue of transphobia. Her brutal death pushed many people to step up in the fight for equal rights, regardless of gender.
But her death was more than just a story for inspiration. Especially that her murderer, Pemberton, is now, and still roaming free after former President Rodrigo Duterte granted him an “absolute pardon” in 2020.
Furthermore, a few weeks after Laude’s murderer’s release, another transwoman fell victim. Madonna Nierra was left lifeless in a river along Barangay 176 in Bagong Silang, Caloocan City. Her death trended for a while as members of the LGBTQIA+ community sought justice for her murder.
Moreover, in 2015, Jaja Canlas, the 17-year-old Pampanga’s Miss Teen Gay 2014 was found dead in an overgrown pig farm with multiple stab wounds. Then in 2019, Jessa Remiendo was brutally murdered in Pangasinan. She was left with a slit in her neck and eyes.
The list of names goes on and it will continue to do so if there are still no proper actions imposed.
Humanizing the numbers
Their lives were not shaped by their gender but by their dreams, hopes, ideas, and positive contributions to society.
They are not just numbers. Their names should not be represented by statistics but by their stories and the lives that they lived.
Recalling goes beyond mere remembrance; it compels us to take a stand in confronting the entrenched bias and prejudice that fuel transphobia and advocate for justice on behalf of those whose existence is continuously being silenced. Remembering those lost due to transphobia is a crucial move in the quest for a more inclusive society.
Where are we now?
The LGBTQIA+ community can never find a day to rest as they keep facing challenges. This manifests in the current status of the SOGIE Bill—a bill that aims to protect everyone from any form of discrimination based on their SOGIE in the country, among others.
Despite its goal and clear intention to pave the way for genuine inclusivity, many policymakers, as well as religious groups, are opposing it. This includes Senators Vicente “Tito” Sotto, Cynthia Villar, and Manny Pacquiao.
In November 2022, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla explained that this bill, along with the Same-sex Marriage and Divorce Bill, is not acceptable in the country for being predominantly Catholic.
Furthermore, Senator Joel Villanueva states that passing this bill only serves one sector of society, pertaining to the LGBTQIA+ community. Hence, it must not be prioritized.
This shows nothing but a lack of understanding of the struggle. This means that the journey to achieve an equal society for all genders still has a very long way to go.
As we observe this year’s Transgender Day of Remembrance, let the collective memory of these lives fuel an unwavering commitment to the ongoing fight for equality, resonating with a vision of a world where every life is celebrated, accepted, and safeguarded.
Article: Laica I. Macuha & Charles Vincent Nagaño
Graphics: Jacques Jacobsen Aquino
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