On Saturday 11 February, 16-year-old Brianna Ghey was stabbed to death in Linear Park in Culcheth, Warrington, Cheshire.
Brianna was a transgender girl and although, at this time, detectives say there is no evidence to suggest her murder was a hate crime, news outlets are reporting about her gender which makes the incident even more prominent and distressing to transgender people and the wider LGBT+ community.
According to Galop, in 2022 reported hate crime in the UK rose overall by almost a third, with figures showing a 41% increase in hate crime against LGB people and a staggering 56% increase in transphobic hate crimes.
A report released by Transrespect, who monitor trans murders worldwide, saw 327 reported murders of trans and gender-diverse people between 1 October 2021 and 30 September 2022.
Donnacha O’Driscoll, Executive Vice President, Maritime, is the Executive Ally for transgender individuals, supporting Spectrum, Carnival UK’s LGBT+ & Friends employee-led network.
“As a leading employer in the cruise industry, the culture we create is critical and it’s built though our work, training, how we treat each other and how we hold each other accountable.
“The Executive Leadership Team fully support the work Spectrum, and our other employee-led networks do to raise awareness about the experiences of underrepresented and marginalised groups, such as the murder of Brianna Ghey.”
As news outlets started to report on Brianna’s murder, there were multiple instances of deadnaming (using the name a trans person had before they transitioned) and misgendering (using the gender assigned at birth rather than the one a person identifies with).
DE&I terminology is a complex area and the fear of saying the wrong thing can lead us to saying nothing at all. To support this, a glossary of DE&I terms has been created, intended as a starting point for people to further their knowledge and understanding of this area. By using the correct and up to date language, we can make sure we’re being mindful and respectful of all our colleagues. Read the Inclusive Language Guide here.
We understand that this tragic death will be difficult for a number of our colleagues. If during this time you need extra support, we have many resources available, or please speak with your line manager directly to refer you to our onsite Occupational Health team.
If you’d like to support Spectrum and learn more about the lived experiences of LGBT+ people, join Spectrum’s Facebook group here.
We will continue to work on how we can best support underrepresented minority groups and on how we can work on combating the injustices and inequities that plague our societies. If you would like to get involved with Carnival UK DE&I initiatives, please reach out to Asha Sorenson DEIE Manager: asha.sorenson@carnivalukgroup.com on how to join and be a part of our Employee Led Networks.