Trans-inclusive women shelters needed

THE EDITOR, Sir: A FEW weeks ago, it was announced that the Government will be prioritising the opening of three new women’s centres throughout the island. While we applaud this effort, the real question to ask is will these shelters be transgender inclusive. Transwomen are one of the most vulnerable groups that exist in our society, with several transwomen being made homeless.

According to statistics recorded in March of 2015, there are 1,418 homeless persons living in Jamaica, with the majority living in Kingston and St Andrew. Of course, among that number is persons of trans experience, however, there’s barely any perceived number of trans-identified persons affected by homelessness.

Moreover, persons of trans experience face a double whammy while homeless because of their real or perceived gender identity and the forms of gender expression that comes with it.

It is uncanny to note that there hasn’t been a clear outline of the money allocated by the Government for the three new shelters for victims of domestic violence. While we should recognise that this is a vulnerable group, the trans community is equally vulnerable because of the lack of legislation that addresses attack of any kind towards the trans community.

Over the past few years, there have been several reports of acts of transphobic violence due to their gender identity. In a 2015 J-FLAG survey of 316 LGBT Jamaicans, 43 per cent of the respondents reported receiving threats of physical violence.

SLOW PROGRESS

In the last five years, 18 per cent reported being threatened with sexual violence. You can think of the many stories involving young teenagers and adolescents such as Dwayne Jones in 2013; in 2014 when a trans-identified teen was almost mobbed in Clarendon, and in 2016 a woman of trans experience was beaten and thrown in the gully. These stories are heartening, to say the least, and show how slow progressing we are as a country.

Accompanying these three shelters should be legislation that addresses discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation. A primary example to imitate or model is Britain’s Equality Act, which addresses persons of trans experience, age, disability, sexual orientation, race, sex, being pregnant and being married or in a civil relationship. These are known as a protected characteristic of the law.

It is my hope that these shelters become a reality for all vulnerable groups affected, including the local transidentified community, and any other person that has been stigmatised or marginalised in our society.