MPP Ric Bresee addresses the Ontario Legislature on Transgender Day of Remembrance, Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024. Display captured picture.
Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR) is an annual observance on November 20 that honours the reminiscence of the transgender folks whose lives have been misplaced in acts of anti-transgender violence. On Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024, Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) for Hastings-Lennox & Addington, Ric Bresee, spoke within the Ontario Legislature to mark the solemn event together with members of the opposite events. The Conservative member’s spokesperson famous that though Bresee’s remarks have been private, they carried the load of the provincial authorities behind them.
On behalf of the Ontario authorities, Bresee highlighted the contributions and resilience of the transgender neighborhood in Ontario. An extended-time supporter and ally of the 2SLGBTQIA+ neighborhood, he emphasised the necessity to handle hate and discrimination, noting that he has a private connection to the transgender neighborhood in his grownup daughter.
His speech acquired standing ovations from each side of the Speaker’s chair in a uncommon second of grace and nonpartisanship.
The total textual content of Bresee’s remarks:
“I am pleased to rise today on behalf of the government to acknowledge Transgender Day of Remembrance, a day when we honour the memory of transgender individuals who have lost their lives due to acts of anti-transgender violence. Today, we remember those who have suffered simply for being who they are, and we reaffirm our commitment to justice, equity and respect for all.
“Ontario is home to a vibrant and diverse transgender community, including transgender women and men, non-binary, gender queer, and Two-Spirit individuals who come from all walks of life and enrich our province in countless ways. Their courage, resilience and contributions make Ontario a better place for all of us. Incidents of hate and discrimination against the transgender community have no place in Ontario and do not represent the values that we hold dear.
“As you all know, I’m a very proud father. One of my children is a transgender adult, and through her, I have come to understand some of the concerns, challenges, and threats faced by her and others in the transgender community. Their struggles are not abstract to me; they are the lived experiences of my own family. Although I was an ally for decades before, this personal connection fuels my dedication to advocating for equity and inclusion within this assembly and across all of government.
View the entire speech made by MPP Ric Bresee to mark Transgender Day of Remembrance via YouTube.
“As this is a day of remembrance, I feel it right to highlight some of the people we need to remember. Julie Berman was a well-known transgender rights advocate based in Toronto for 30 years, and in 2019, she was tragically murdered.
“Sumaya Dalmar was a Somali Canadian transgender woman and activist who faced significant discrimination and adversity due to her gender identity and her race. In 2015, Samaya was found dead. These are two tragic examples of too many more Ontarians being discriminated against, facing barriers and fearing for their safety.
“Maya Angelou once said, ‘We all should know that diversity makes for a rich tapestry, and we must understand that all the threads of the tapestry are equal in value, no matter what their colour.’ I say to you, Mr. Speaker, that to reach true equality, we need to acknowledge and address the barriers faced by the transgender community.
“Over the past century, we witnessed tremendous progress in human rights and yet it’s important to recognize how recent many of those protections for transgender individuals are. It was only in 2012 that Ontario passed ‘Toby’s Act’ amending the Human Rights Code to include gender identity and gender expression as protected grounds. These advancements are significant milestones, but they also highlight that the journey toward full inclusion is still underway. Policies protecting transgender rights are only a decade old, reminding us that these rights are both precious and, unfortunately, still contested by some.
“Along with policy changes, our government has made considerable investments to keep the 2SLGBTQIA+ communities safe. Recognizing that action must accompany words, we’ve allocated $25.5 million over two years through the anti-hate security and prevention grant to enhance safety and security measures for community events and spaces. This funding is crucial in ensuring the spaces celebrating diversity are protected from those who seek to undermine them.
“Through the anti-racism and anti-hate grant, we funded projects around intersectionality and online hate. Under the leadership of the Minister of Culture, Tourism and Gaming, we invested over a million dollars last year alone to support Pride organizations across this province.
“Speaker, education plays a pivotal role in fostering understanding and acceptance. Our schools must be places where diversity is celebrated and where all students feel safe and included. Our government updated the curriculum to promote the inclusion of diverse family structures, relationships, and identities and enacted the Safe and Supportive Classrooms Act to ensure a safe and inclusive learning environment for all students. But let us be clear, funding and policies are necessary, but they are not sufficient on their own.
“We must work to shift societal attitudes. This means challenging transphobia wherever and whenever it appears, whether in overt acts of discrimination or subtle, everyday interactions. Speaker, incidents of hate and discrimination against the transgender community have no place in Ontario and do not represent the values we hold. Let us commit today to building a province where equity paves the way for true equality; a place where everyone has the opportunity to thrive, regardless of their gender expression or identity.
“On this Transgender Day of Remembrance, we honour those we’ve lost by dedicating ourselves to the ongoing work of creating a more inclusive and equitable society. Let their memories inspire us to action, compassion, and unwavering support for the rights of all. Let us build a future where every person is celebrated for who they are.”
Trans Household Kingston will mark the event with a candlelight vigil at 6 p.m. tonight, Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024, at Springer Market Sq. Amphitheatre behind Metropolis Corridor.
