A memorial to a Tasmanian trangender woman has been vandalised with a hateful anti-trans slogan, prompting calls for Tasmania’s leaders to speak out against anti-trans hate. 

A memorial to Marjorie Harwood who died after an anti-trans sexual assault in Hobart’s Risdon Prison has been spray-painted with an anti-trans slogan, “YWNBAW”, which is an acronym for “you will never be a woman”. 

Speaking today at the memorial outside Risdon Prison, Marjorie’s mother, Rosemary said, 

“As a mum it just hurts so much to think they would attack Marjorie’s memorial.” 

“I want whoever did this to know that if they do it again we will keep cleaning it off. They will not defeat us. We will keep Marjorie’s memory alive no matter what.”  

Veteran Tasmanian transgender advocate, Martine Delaney, was also at the memorial.

She said, 

“I don’t think it was a random event. It was part of a continuing campaign to demonise and incite hatred against trans and gender diverse people.”  

“Trans and gender diverse people and our families shouldn’t be alone in defending ourselves. We need our political, civic and religious leaders to speak out and condemn anti-transgender hate and discrimination.” 

In 2018 Marjorie Harwood was gang raped when she was being held in the men’s prison at Risdon. She subsequently died as a result of physical and psychological injuries. 

To remember Marjorie, a stone outside Risdon Prison was covered in a mosaic of the transgender flag. It was this memorial that was attacked. 

Marjorie’s tragic death was partly why Tasmania passed world-best gender recognition laws in 2019 and why the Tasmanian Justice Department is now leading the nation on developing trans-inclusive prison policies. 

Tasmania Police have been notified and Clarence City Council will clean the memorial. 

For a copy of this statement on the web, click here

For more information, or to speak to Rosemary Harwood, contact Martine Delaney on 0417 530 621.