Cross posted from the Scottish Lib Dems website
A few years ago, I took a trip to London with some young people.
They had the choice of any West End musical we could get cheap tickets for on the Saturday night.
They chose instead to go to a vigil remembering victims of hate crimes .
So, instead of being in a warm theatre, we spent several hours in rain and freezing cold. It was an incredibly moving event. The most sombre part was when the names of people who had lost their lives was read out.
Each one of these names was a human being with hopes, interests, emotions, ambitions. All they wanted to do was get on with their lives in peace. Those lives were cut short because of prejudice and hatred.
A year or so after that trip to London, one of those young people came out as transgender. They were only too well aware of the sort of prejudice they faced if they revealed their true self. To do so in those circumstances takes incredible courage.
Fortunately, they had supportive family and friends and are now doing very well.
November 20th is the Transgender Day of Remembrance when we remember transgender people across the world who have been murdered because of who they are. This year, the number is 350, not far off one person every single day.
For several years now, trans and non binary people in this country have been constantly marginalised, the target of well-funded misinformation.