-
A loss to the TG community
The trans community has lost another prominent TG activist this week on the back of loosing Zoe Belle 2 months ago, hopefully our community keep step up to the plate to fill the large gaps left by these tirless workers for our community.
Rhi
Sydney Star Observer, Australia
Sydney Star Observer – Issue 915 – Published 24/04/2008
TRANS ACTIVIST WILL BE MISSED by Ani Lamont
[Photo: Cara Davis]
Eleanor Lister, transgender rights advocate and general supporter of
humanitarian issues, died last week after a long battle with throat
cancer.A public wake held yesterday at 2pm at the Bank Hotel in Newtown drew
mourners from far and wide to share their memories of Lister’s
character and public work.Lister was best known for her political work with the Greens Party.
Joining with the Greens out of a sense of outrage over the Tampa
affair, Lister went on to help establish the GLBTI Committee and
continued through all her work to make sure that transgender issues
remained on the agenda.She was always ready to speak out on behalf of the transgender
community, and many considered her greatest achievement was her work
in establishing The Transgender Day of Remembrance.Lister was also never afraid to criticise it either. In a piece she
wrote for SSO in November 2007, Lister adamantly opposed those from
the transgender community who sought to avoid being considered a part
of the gay and lesbian community.“When we are all being called freaks, when we are all supposedly going
to hell on the same train, what is the point of fighting amongst
ourselves? After we get our freedom we can then say, ‘I have nothing
in common with you.'”Greens GLBT spokesperson Ray Goodlass was a long-time friend and
colleague of Lister. He said what he and others will most remember
about Lister, besides her activism work, would be her sense of humour.“She was a larger than life figure, who had quite a whimsical approach
to life and a great sense of humour,” he told SSO.“I remember when that politician [Israeli MP, Shlomo Benizri] accused
gay people of causing earthquakes. Eleanor instantly sent round an
email to everyone on the Greens GLBT mailing list just saying, ‘Did
the earth move for you?’“She was an incredibly warm person, she greeted everyone with a kiss,
and she was also incredibly courageous. Even when she was sick, she
never complained about anything. She was just so courageous.”http://www.ssonet. com.au/display. asp?ArticleID= 8201
-
3 Replies
-
F*CK I had to read about this here?
Eleanor was the first person besides my family, I came out to – and I didn’t even KNow she was Trans.
I’ve known her for YEARS, bantered, argued, opposed points of view, supported, laughed, and now … I cry.
I can’t believe, my negligence, has prevented me knowing about this, although I’m guessing it happened VERY VERY fast cause she only just moved into a new house after being homeless since February, in fact she wasn’t even unpacked last week when I last spoke to her.
She was a “bit busy” with the greens and other more important things in life.
-
Im saddened to read athe loss of someone who the community appears blessed to have with us.
I never new her and reading this shows im guilty of not knowing enough about who is doing what for us in the community.
May her soul rest in peace -
Eleanor doesn’t want mourning, Eleanor wants celebration of her life.
Eleanor wouldn’t have spent pretty much single handed hours of her time bringing the Transgender Day of Remembernece to Sydney if she didn’t want people to celebrate life.
No doubt Eleanor has left a list of things for the rest of us to do in our lives to see us through, she was a HUGE supporter of everyone no matter how dire their lives were – gosh she even spared time for me and my family even though she wasn’t as well off as many who couldn’t care less that our family f 6 was living in the streets.
Eleanor was honest too – instead of saying “If there is anything I can do to help jut ask me” she came out and said “There is nothing I can do to help you, but feel free to call or drop in if you want.”
It wasn’t Throat Cancer BTW, it was Liver Cancer. She went into Hospital for an emergency operation about a week before she passed away.
She passed away at 6 PM on 16 April 2008 with many family and friends present – I believe at her home. Her friends in the USA and AUS were telling her to lay off the Endless tasks she kept adding to her list, something Eleanor said she had little time to finish, but needed to do so much before she left us all in dire panic.
We all expected her passing to happen, but it was not scheduled on her diary until around Christmas this year. We all believed this would be the case and a special trip to the USA to visit and finally meet a couple of her friends will now not happen.
I’ve had a few of them tell me how lucky I am to have met Eleanor – I agree. Although only a dozen or so times since August last year, in the online world were were in daily chat contact until April when her appearances were fewer and shorter.
No single person will be able to fill Eleanor’s shoes, (trust me they were big! Size 13 if I recall) even I failed to fill a small portion.
It’s kinda weird really cause since she passed away the sun has been shining in my life, literally. Her way of telling me that I shouldn’t be finding excuses to stay home but get out there and let the sun shine for all.
I can'[t even begin to list the things Elearnor did that woudl have changed your lives without even knowing it. As a potent member of the Greens, although politics seems so far from the daily lives of most, especially a minority party, the had a profound affect on many of the liason and acceptance events and attitudes we take for granted today.
Laws were created to benefit Transgender people because of he tireless work of Eleanor and others using their skill, passion and lives to bring about much needed change and education to our sometimes all too narrow minded blinkered society.
Eleanor will live on forever, in our society, just her body has gone, not her spirit, values, and passion, which lives on in all those who’s paths she crossed.
