Complaint about a new homophobic episode in Thessaloniki
A new transphobic / homophobic incident, the second in two months in Thessaloniki, is denounced by the Thessaloniki Open Coordination for the International Day of Remembrance of Trans Victims.
With fresh memories of the gravel and stone attack on the 9th Thessaloniki Pride in September, this time, a young man snatched a Sylvia Rivera group flag from a protester’s bag and ran with 5-6 other young men in an unknown direction.
In detail what they report:
Another International Day of Remembrance for Trans Victims. The 375 victims of transphobia worldwide in one year, but also Dimitris, whom we lost in Greece last spring, are missing from a world that should be colorful, but remains gray for many, many and many of us.
Our gathering in Navarino on Saturday, November 20 softened our hearts a bit. Several people stopped their walk on the sidewalk to ask us about the rally and stayed to support it. Between the people and the trans people that we did not know and felt that actions are being taken in the city for them as well.
In the end, however, her gathering was a transphobic / homophobic incident. A young man snatched a Sylvia Rivera group flag from a protester’s bag and ran with 5-6 other young men in an unknown direction.
This is the second transphobic / homophobic incident with young men in just two months. The attack with pebbles and stones had preceded the 9th Thessaloniki Pride in September, both in the Cinema Bloc and in the central block of AMKE Thessaloniki Pride. Are these organized far-right groups of transphobic / homophobic young people who insidiously attack announced actions of the elites + movement? Are these random transphobic / homophobic groups that vent the boredom of their Saturday walk in the center in the mobilizations of the movement?
Whoever they are, let them know that their attacks not only do not frighten us, but we are stubborn to go out as often as we can with our faces on the streets of Thessaloniki. The Loatkia + community is not going to be locked in its shell again in this city. We are glad that on Saturday, in addition to our gathering, there was a march from AMKE Thessaloniki Pride to the Statue of Venizelos, also for the trans memory. From different backgrounds and with different ideological starting points, we tried and succeeded in having a trans presence in the city for the 375 victims of transphobia.
We are and will be here for Dimitris of Lesvos and all our trans brothers! Our open coordination will also go down to the mobilizations for November 25 – World Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, Sis and Trans (Thursday 25/11, 7pm, Statue of Venizelos https://www.facebook.com/events/ 1304704423342322 /
and https://www.facebook.com/events/625649888618850).
Mass anti-transphobic fight,
will be the answer from now on.
We claim:
– recognition of the self-determination of each person by sex, with a simple declaration to the registry without judicial or medical or other conditions
– recognition of non-binary identities (asexual individuals, non binary, genderqueer, genderfluid, intersex, etc.) & inclusion of any gender identity in the legal framework
– extension of civil marriage and transgenderism. No person should be deprived of their partner or children because of their gender identity
– dismantling health services (such as Pap tests, mammograms, etc.) to be accessible to all individuals and training of medical staff on trans status
– integration of sex transfer services in the NSS
– use of gender-neutral language in government documents, so that gender identity is not required everywhere and always, as is the case today
– respect for the self-identification of trans people and the pronouns that move in every aspect of life (school, school, neighborhood, film assemblies, work, bourgeois state) regardless of gender expression.