Transgender Day of Remembrance marked following LGBTQ2S+ nightclub shooting

Ceremonies of remembrance are being held across Canada, and around the world, Sunday to pay tribute to those who have lost their lives to hate and anti-transgender violence.

"We are so full of grief, especially in a time when anti-trans hatred has been so aggressive and so prevalent and increasingly prevalent in our lives,” said Riley Nielson-Baker, with Gender Affirming Care Nova Scotia.

There is a feeling of sorrow and heartbreak after a shooting at an LGBTQ2S+ night club killed five people and injured 25 others in Colorado Saturday night.

"While the suspect was inside of the club, at least two heroic people inside the club confronted and fought with the suspect and were able to stop the suspect from continuing to kill and harm others. We owe them a great debt of thanks,” said Colorado Springs Police Chief Adrian Vasquez in a press briefing.

"Sadly, this occurs far too often. I was raised in the States, I was in Florida when the Pulse shooting happened, this is something that, sadly, a lot of us are just kind of numb to,” Nielson-Baker said.

"When I woke up this morning, I heard the news of the shooting at Club Q at Colorado Springs,” said Sabine LeBel, faculty co-chair for the 203 Centre for Gender and Sexual Diversity at the University of New Brunswick.

“I think we're in a moment where we're seeing a lot of transphobia, we're seeing a lot of violence against trans people, especially racialized and Indigenous people,” said LeBel.

In New Brunswick, the Fierte Fredericton Pride event is being held online to memorialize the day and give people a chance to come together.

"Myself and other community members are really trying to hold space I think for people like myself who are cisgender I'm really trying to hold space and look out for my friends who might be trans or non-binary, and also community members,” Lebel said.

In 2020, 259 people in Canada from 2SLGBTQI+ communities were the target of police-reported hate crimes -- the highest rate since 2009.