Friday November 20, 2020 | VICTORIA, BC
by Mary P Brooke, B.Sc., editor | Island Social Trends
There is still a bit of flux in this political twilight zone between announcement of Provincial General Election results (following final count and one judicial recount of the October 24 election) and the swearing-in of MLAs next week (November 24) and the announcement of the new BC NDP cabinet (November 26).
Meanwhile, Mitzi Dean (re-elected as the MLA for Esquimalt-Metchosin on the west shore of south Vancouver Island) is still the Parliamentary Secretary for Gender Equity.
Today Parliamentary Secretary for Gender Equity Mitzi Dean has released the following statement in honour of the Transgender Day of Remembrance:
“November 20 is the day when we honour the memory of transgender people who have been attacked, injured and murdered in acts of transphobic violence.
“It is also the day when we affirm our commitment to end transphobic violence and build a province where trans, non-binary and Two Spirit people can safely live their lives, affirmed in who they are.
“The violence trans people experience, especially trans people of colour and trans people with disabilities, is on top of the discrimination they too-often face in housing, employment and everyday life.
“Each of us needs to do our part to make sure B.C. is a place where trans people are safe, welcome and given opportunities to succeed.
“Although much has been done to better support transgender people in B.C., we know we still have a long way to go.
“Today, we remember those we have lost – the parents, siblings, partners, friends and co-workers – whose lives were cut short by transphobic violence, and we recommit to making our province one that is safe and truly inclusive for all.”
