Correcting the Record on Trans Deaths with Dylana Thompson

Perspectives: A Canadian Journal of Political Economy and Social Democracy

It is important for policymakers to use evidence, like data and statistics, to make sound policy decisions. However, governments across Canada and in other places around the world continue to make policy decisions that affect trans lives and livelihoods, while data collection and maintenance on trans people remain lacking or incomplete. Despite advancements in other forms of policy supporting 2SLGBTQIA+ communities, Canadian policymakers have failed to advance necessary records of trans deaths, and the policy influences on these deaths.

Dylana Thompson, principal researcher on the New Democratic Party’s White Paper on the Status of Trans and Gender Diverse People, joins the Perspectives Journal podcast to highlight the importance of systemic data collection on trans deaths. This essential information is needed to identify important trends in trans deaths and create policies that make these deaths preventable. Put simply, data is the first step in saving trans lives.

Listen to the full Perspectives Journal Podcast episode to learn how lawmakers can improve data collection and what coroners need to be trained on to properly document trans deaths. Dylana Thompson’s article titled “Counting the Dead: The Urgent Need for Coroners’ Data on Trans Deaths in Canada” was published in Perspectives Journal no.2 and is available online here.

Notes:

• Counting the Dead: The Urgent Need for Coroners’ Data on Trans Deaths in Canada
• White Paper on the Status of Trans and Gender Diverse People
• Society for Advocacy for Gender-affirming Healthcare