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.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
LIVE @ 10:30 a.m. EST Bank of Canada drops key interest rate
The Bank of Canada has dropped its key interest rate by 50 basis points to 3.25 per cent.
Poilievre's Conservatives still in majority territory: Nanos seat projections
The Liberals' promise of a temporary GST break and $250 rebate cheques haven't benefited Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his minority government when it comes to public support, according to Nanos Research data.
Investigators search for motive in killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO as suspect's attorney denies client's involvement
Investigators are searching for a motive in the assassination of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson as murder suspect Luigi Mangione fights his extradition to New York from Pennsylvania, where police detained him at a McDonald's on Monday.
Tensions rising between Canada Post, union as strike nears four-week mark
Canada Post and the union representing postal workers are in a war of words as a countrywide strike enters its 27th day.
New Vancouver mom temporarily discharged from hospital to see Taylor Swift concert
A Vancouver woman didn’t let an emergency C-section keep her from Saturday’s Taylor Swift concert.
'He lost his spirit': Family wants answers after Indigenous man's braids cut at Edmonton hospital
The Saskatchewan family of an Indigenous man whose braids were cut off during a stay at the Royal Alexandra Hospital, without permission, is searching for answers.
'Baseball-sized hail': Toronto man owes car rental company $18K after hailstorm
A Toronto man is on the hook for about $18,000 after a car he rented over the summer was pelted by baseball-sized hail.
What financial experts wish you knew about divorce
Divorce is a major financial reset, yet also one of the worst times to make a lot of important decisions, according to financial experts.
Trudeau highlights Kamala Harris presidential defeat as an attack on women's progress
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says women's rights and women's progress is under attack, pointing to the recent defeat of U.S. presidential candidate Kamala Harris as an example.