She was speaking after attending a remembrance event at Belfast City Hall earlier today (20 November).
The South Belfast MLA has : "This is an important day to reflect on the treatment of a community which has long been marginalised. We will remember with great sadness those members of the community we have lost to violence or to suicide.
"As we do so, we will reaffirm our commitment to putting and end to discrimination, to making sure that support is available to those in need, to stopping the targeted violence transgender and gender-diverse people face, and to making sure they know they are valued in our society.
"So, while this is an important day of reflection, it is also a call to action. That is why I have joined many others at City Hall today, to remember the past but also demand better for the future."