Trans Day of Remembrance Event November 20 in Bracebridge

For Immediate Release
 
BRACEBRIDGE,  ONTARIO – November 17th  , 2016 –  Almost 300 trans and gender-diverse people were reported murdered in the last year around the world.
 
November 14th  to 20th is recognized as Trans Awareness Week. It is a week to help raise the visibility of transgender and gender-diverse people and address the issues these communities face.
 
Muskoka Pride invites the community to  participate in recognizing the International Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDoR) this Sunday, November 20th at Bracebridge United Church (46 Dominion St.) at 6pm.  The event both celebrates the diversity of transgender life and honours those who have lost their lives in the past year.
 
The event will include a screening of the film “Transgender Life in Slovenia” (2016) with filmmaker Michelle Emson, who will be doing a Q&A after the screening.  Muskoka Pride screened her previous film “Pride of Ukraine” during the 2015 Muskoka Pride Festival.
 
For Emson the Trans Day of Remembrance is especially significant, as she came out as transgender in 2011.  She says, “If we can come to accept our own uniqueness, then perhaps we could come to respect and accept the uniqueness of others." She is an LGBTQ Human Rights advocate and has given many presentations on the subject.  This month she was a presenter at the Muskoka Pride Conference.
 
The local TDoR event will include reading the names of the 295 trans and gender-diverse people who were victims of transphobic violence between October 1st 2015 and September 30th 2016.  We will be joined by singer-songwriter  Angie Nussey and Cree performance artist Veronica Johnny.
 
Since 2008 (when records started being kept) a total of 2,264 deaths have been reported worldwide in 68 countries.
 
For further information on this and other Muskoka Pride events, go to www.muskokapride.com or visit the Muskoka Pride Facebook Page www.facebook.com/muskokapride

• Opening space with Veronica Johnny -  Cree artist, performer, and speaker
  
• Screening of trans filmmaker Michelle Emson's latest film "Transgender Life in Slovenia"
  
• Performance by Angie Nussey - nominated SOCAN Songwriter of the Year for her album "Still Hope"
  
• Group Reading of the 2016 TDoR list
  
• Social and newtorking

Sunday November 20th - Bracebridge United Church (46 Dominion Street) 6pm-8pm
Trans Day of Remembrance Muskoka Pride Event