By LINDSAY-JO DOUGLAS
BG Independent News
On Thursday, members of the Bowling Green community gathered to honor the lives of the transgender people who were lost in the last year. As the name of each trans person was read aloud, it was not only a time of mourning, but a time to remember the struggles that trans people face in the community, in Ohio, and in the world.
BGOPride board member Amanda Ark stated, “Each name we read today represents a life cut short, a story left untold, and a community that continues to fight for recognition and justice. As we read each name this evening, let us remember these individuals were and are more than just statistics. They were and are beloved members of their families and communities. They had dreams, aspirations, and a right to live authentically without fear.”
“The violence inflicted upon them is not just an attack on their identities, but an assault on our shared humanity,” Ark continued. “We must honor their memories by acknowledging the systematic issues that continue to cause this violence, racism, sexism, transphobia, and classism. A reminder that black and brown trans women and youth are still those that pass at a [higher] rate.”
“We must not only honor their names and memory, but remember to fight for the rights of all who choose to live as they are,” Ark said, before reciting the names of 79 lives lost. She then encouraged everyone to “protect transgender rights and promote equality. This includes supporting legislation aimed at preventing hate crimes, ensuring access to healthcare for all individuals, regardless of gender identity, and challenging societal norms that perpetuate discrimination.”
Miranda Douglas wanted everyone to know that the “trans community is at risk of violence. We all have to stick together, to look out for each other. I hope our allies will help during these difficult political times.”
According to UCLA’s Williams Institute School of Law’s research, “Transgender people [are] over four times more likely than cisgender people to be victims of violent crime.” Violent crime included rape, sexual assault, and aggravated or simple assault.
Research by Gyamerah, Baguso, and Santiago-Rodriguez, et. al., showed that physical assault was the most reported hate crime at 39.8% of hate crimes reported by trans people. This was followed by battery with a weapon at 37.3%, sexual assault at 19.3%, and robbery at 3.6%. Significant differences were found in the type of hate crime experienced based on race and/or ethnicity.
Latina, 49%, and Black, 47.9%, trans women experienced transphobic battery with a weapon at the highest rates, while white, 26.7%, and other race/ethnicity, 25%, trans women had a higher prevalence of transphobic sexual assaults. Latina, 23%, and Black 21.7%, trans women also had the highest rate of experiencing transphobic battery with a weapon, compared to white, 11.1%, and other race/ethnicity, 11.5%, trans women.
According to The Trevor Project, in Ohio, in 2022, 38% of LGBTQIA+ youth “experienced threat or harm based on sexual orientation or gender identity.” A majority, 76%, of LGBTQIA+ youth experienced discrimination based on the same criteria. Recent politics also negatively impacted the well-being of LGBTQIA+ youth, with 43% reporting that recent politics impacted them “a lot,” and 46% reporting “sometimes.”
In 2023, Ohio Senator Theresa Gavarone co-sponsored House Bill 68, which became law in April 2024. This legislation prohibits physicians from prescribing “cross-sex hormones” or puberty blockers and performing gender-affirming surgery on minors. It also prohibits healthcare providers from helping patients get gender-affirming care in other states, outlawing conduct that “aids and abets.” The law also prohibits courts from considering a parent’s refusal to accept a child’s trans identity in custody cases, including misgendering, deadnaming, and denying access to counseling for the child.
