November 20th is Transgender Day of Remembrance. This is a day to remember trans and gender diverse people whose lives have been lost due to violence.
In Hungary, transgender and gender diverse people are especially vulnerable since in May 2020 the government banned legal gender recognition. Hátter Society’s report, Social attitudes towards LGBTQI issues (made in 2023 and published in 2024), discusses not only problems caused by the lack of legal recognition, but also society’s opinions about them. Without legal gender recognition, trans and gender diverse people can face everyday problems in health care, the inability to use their bank cards (because people do not believe it is theirs), and finding a safe toilet to use in public places. Based on the report, 41-48% of Hungarian people found these to be “very serious problems”.
The report doesn’t specifically mention (increased) violence against trans people; however, the LGBTQI community as a whole has certainly felt the toxic environment created by the years of legislation and hate speech against the LGBTQI community promoted by the government. We know the lesbian community has felt this pressure, and the social events organized by qLit (and other LGBTQI associations) offer a source of strength and a safe place to reenergize.
Today, let’s take a moment to remember the members of our community lost due to violence. But more importantly, let’s take a moment to remember that trans and gender diverse people are members of our LGBTQI community. Everyone deserves a safe space to express themselves. You can take a step to create that safe space by simply saying hello, introducing yourself, or sharing a smile.
