Sumaya Dalmar, also known as Sumaya YSL,[1] was a Somali-Canadian transgender activist[2] and model. Sumaya was one of the earliest Somalis to come out as transgender and LGBT as a whole.
Sumaya Dalmar | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1988 or 1989 Somalia |
| Died | (aged 26) |
| Other names | Sumaya YSL |
| Occupation(s) | Activist, model |
Biography edit
Dalmar was born in Somalia and left during the outbreak of the Somali Civil War at the age of three.[3] Dalmar's biological parents disowned her when she came out as trans to them in 2011.[4] The Toronto-based[5] Muslim[6] died in mysterious circumstances on 22 February 2015 at the age of 26. It was an event that was compared to other acts of violence against trans women of colour,[7] especially during the early months of 2015 when such incidents were reportedly occurring at a particularly high rate,[8] but police have since discounted the occurrence of a homicide.[1]
Later life edit
In 2013, she was the primary actor for a play and documentary that attempted to intersect the relationship between the Somali ethnicity, religiosity, and its correlation to masculinity during a project called "An Intimate Portrait of Somalian Trans-Woman" by Abdi Osman.[2][3] By 2014, she was the subject of an art exhibition and had become qualified as a speech therapist.[9] Dalmar, who had the middle name Dasia,[1] also featured in other ventures, such as scheduling to begin employment at an LGBT community center called The 519.[10] One commentator praised the degree of visibility she has given the trans community.[11] In 2018 friends and community members established in recognition of her life's work the Sumaya Dalmar Award for trans students of colour.[12]
References edit
- ^ a b c "Toronto Police: Trans Woman of Color's Death Was Not Homicide". The Advocate. 25 February 2015. Retrieved 12 March 2016.
- ^ a b College of Arts and Science Ellen Trish Salah, September 7, 2015
- ^ a b "Police investigating the death of young Somali trans woman in Canada". PinkNews. 2015-02-25. Retrieved 2 October 2015.
- ^ "Sumaya Ysl's Friends Speak Out About Her Death". Planet Transgender. 2015-02-26. Archived from the original on 2015-09-26. Retrieved 2 October 2015.
- ^ "Remembering Sumaya Dalmar". CBC. 20 October 2014. Retrieved 2 October 2015.
- ^ Adam Withnall (25 February 2015). "Sumaya Ysl death: Toronto police investigate death of young Somali trans woman in Canada". The Independent. Archived from the original on February 26, 2015. Retrieved 2 October 2015.
- ^ "Happy Women's Equality Day! The good, the bad and the work-in-progress". FASHION Magazine. Retrieved 2 October 2015.
- ^ "A Transgender person is being murdered every 29 hours. Can you stop killing us for just one week?". Planet Transgender. 2015-02-23. Archived from the original on 2015-09-26. Retrieved 2 October 2015.
- ^ "Another Heartbreak: Somali-Canadian Trans Woman Sumaya Dalmar Found Dead in Toronto This Weekend". Autostraddle. 2015-02-24. Retrieved 2 October 2015.
- ^ "Sumaya Dalmar had 'so much more life to live'". dailyxtra.com. Retrieved 2 October 2015.
- ^ Unanswered Questions Following Death of Toronto Trans Woman of Colour Muna Mire, retrieved 8 September
- ^ New award to help racialized trans students Archived 2018-03-20 at the Wayback Machine, ryerson.ca, retrieved 19 March 2018.
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