By JEREMY APPEL on November 21, 2019.

NEWS PHOTO JEREMY APPEL

Project Rainbow Medicine Hat chairperson Caelan Hart lights a candle during the vigil for victims of transphobic violence Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2019. NEWS PHOTO JEREMY APPELProject Rainbow Medicine Hat chairperson Caelan Hart lights a candle during the vigil for victims of transphobic violence Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2019.

jappel@medicinehatnews.com

Project Rainbow Medicine Hat brought some warmth to a cold November night with a candlelight vigil to honour the memories of transgender people killed for who they are.

Members of the LGBTQ community and allies gathered at Veterans Memorial Park for the event Wednesday, which was held as part of the 20th annual International Transgender Day of Remembrance.

From Oct. 1, 2018 to Sept. 30, 2019, 331 transgender people were murdered across the world, according to the Trans Murder Monitoring research project.

Caelan Hart, Project Rainbow’s chairperson, says the vigil is intended to grieve, but also raise awareness and educate people in the community “to bring a stop to these growing numbers.”

Hart handed out different coloured candles – provided by the Medicine Hat Women’s Shelter Society – to attendees, who held them while he read out the names of those murdered this year.

“Being trans in Medicine Hat is somewhat alienating to a certain extent,” he told the News. “It’s just like living any other life, except there is always a fear of, “Am I going to walk home tonight without getting attacked just for how I look, how I present my gender.”

“That doesn’t change really, no matter where you’re trans. There’s always going to be that underlying fear of one of those names that we read at these vigils. That’s really why we have to continue having these ceremonies and Pride events every year. Until people can walk down the street without that fear, then our job isn’t done yet.”

Beyond simply treating transgender people in their lives with respect and dignity, Hart says cisgender allies can help by better educating themselves and confronting transphobic prejudice, as well as supporting safe environments for LGBTQ kids in schools.

“Read stories of trans people, find out a little bit more about the trans experience, and just in doing that you can better help support your trans friends go through what they’re going through,” he said.