“Trans people from Compiégnois, you are not alone.” This is the message in front of around forty demonstrators who lit a candle for the Trans Day of Remembrance (in English, Trans Day of Remembrance, TDoR), in front of Compiègne town hall.
Wednesday November 20 in the early evening, in a piercing cold, the collective Trans Solidarity Compiègne and the union Student solidarity organized a candlelight vigil in tribute to the victims of transphobia.
It is about the Parisian Géraldine and the Compiégnoise Angelina. Two “trans” women killed in the same week at the beginning of July 2024. Although the investigation did not conclude that there was a transphobic motive, concerning Angelina. It is particularly a question of the media treatment of this “transfeminicide”. Songe, a speaker who took the floor, criticizes the fact that his former identity was recalled. The one he had before declaring himself a woman.
An attack in the eyes of the demonstrators. As Emma, 23, explains when asked at what point in her life she decided to “become someone else”. Or rather when she decided to “become herself”. “I appreciate you correcting yourself,” she smiled.
Emma talks about her journey
The reminder of the “dead name” (identity assigned at birth) can be used “to cause harm,” says Emma. “This can happen within the family circle, where loved ones refuse to call the person by their new identity,” she explains. Many do not make an effort and will refuse to use the new first name. My loved ones, for the most part, respected what happened to me. This is an exception.”
“It’s also a question of generation…” Emma agrees, mentioning her grandfather, reluctant at first, before accepting his identity. “My family supported me because it’s a good thing for me.”
Emma does not experience dysphoria, this feeling of inconsistency between birth sex and perceived gender identity. “I was harassed throughout my schooling, tortured… she continues. I have never been popular. I never fit into the constraints of masculinity. It didn’t match my values. When I was older, at 18, I questioned myself after my first romantic relationship, which ended in a breakup and depression. I questioned my identity. Through discussions, I was able to put things into words about what I was feeling.”
“In a context of rise of the extreme right”
In Compiègne, a trans solidarity collective has just been created. “And we invite you to join him to grow our ranks.” “In a context of the rise of the far right,” he indicates, “it becomes essential to organize ourselves, to help each other in our lives and in our transitions, and to fight together.”
Songe speaks. “For the first time, we are meeting today in Compiègne. This year, we saw one of ours fall in this city. We saw the media portray her murder without an ounce of respect for who she was. For her life, and for her death, and all the people who cared about her, and all those who witnessed her existence.
Consider the 411 other “deaths” in France and around the world, between October 2023 and November 20, 2024: “Choked, beaten, stabbed, crushed, burned…” “In this city where we are followed, insulted, attack, and sometimes kill, for the simple fault of existing in public space, or even in intimate space, we come together today, to remember all “those” who are, who were, who will be and “those” who will no longer be.”
“Increased suicidal thoughts”
This year, Songe talks about “the increase in suicidal thoughts among our people”. “I was not spared like many of us. This world is scary. Political positions in power are more and more hostile to our existence (…) And we feel the consequences of the political recovery of our daily lives. In the general hostility and attacks against us.”
“Too many still remain invisible to everyone,” Songe continues. Too many could not exist before dying.” Songe considers it a social problem: “It would be wrong to think of the majority of violent causes as coming from an inherent disgust with our existence. This only demonstrates a societal structure where our lives challenge ruthless and vicious systems. And for that we should be punished, erased.”
“How many of us have to die before things change?”
The majority of our deaths are “trans” women (94%), racialized (93%) and/or disabled, or sex workers (46%). These are people on the margins whose existence challenges the idea that you shouldn’t live if you’re not cis, white, and able-bodied. Extremely precarious conditions which make the survival of members of our communities all the more difficult.”
Songe said he was furious. “How many of us have to die before things change? How many of us will think that our life is an anomaly that should be eliminated. (…) I still have my tears. I still have my heart. And with these tears of rage, I will water my determination. I will form a community, I will dedicate my life to our collective and to our lives. I want to be alive. And I refuse to let this system take that away from me like it takes away hundreds of our adelphes (non-gendered brothers or sisters) every year.”
