Honoring Transgender Day of Remembrance

Today is Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR), an annual observance each November 20 that serves to honor the memories of the transgender, non-binary & gender non-conforming people whose lives were lost in acts of transphobic violence. It is also a day for transgender individuals, organizations and allies to raise awareness of the transgender community through education and advocacy activities.

TDOR was started in 1999 by transgender advocate Gwendolyn Ann Smith as a vigil to honor the memory of Rita Hester, a transgender woman who was killed in 1998. A vigil commemorated all the transgender people who were known to have lost their lives to hateful violence since Rita Hester’s death, and it began an important tradition that has become the annual Transgender Day of Remembrance. To date, Rita Hester’s murder — like most anti-transgender murder cases — has yet to be solved.

“Transgender Day of Remembrance seeks to highlight the losses we face due to anti-transgender bigotry and violence. I am no stranger to the need to fight for our rights, and the right to simply exist is first and foremost. With so many seeking to erase transgender people — sometimes in the most brutal ways possible — it is vitally important that those we lose are remembered, and that we continue to fight for justice.” 
– Gwendolyn Ann Smith, Transgender Day of Remembrance founder

The week before TDOR, people and organizations around the country participate in Transgender Awareness Week to help raise visibility for transgender people and address issues the community faces. Click here for more info on TAW.

The Purpose of Transgender Day of Remembrance

• To raise public awareness of the hate crimes committed against transgender people
• To publicly mourn and honor the lives lost, so they are not forgotten
• To express love and respect in the face of national indifference and hatred
• To give transgender people and their allies time and space to step forward and stand in vigil

How We All Can Participate in TDOR
We can take part in and honor Transgender Day of Remembrance by attending a vigil or event to honor transgender people whose lives were lost to anti-transgender violence. These are typically hosted by local transgender advocates or LGBTQ organizations, and held at community centers, parks, places of worship, and other public venues. Examples include:

• Candlelight vigils
• Marches / demonstrations
• Discussion forums with local activists, politicians, school officials
• Poetry or spoken word art readings
• Visual displays of the number of deaths (e.g. with flowers or chalk body outlines)
• Art / Photography exhibits
• Movie screenings
• Organized “Trans 101” trainings within the community, in workplaces, organizations etc.

Why TDOR is Important
While we may not know, or even know about, all the trans individuals whose lives were cut short by violence, we do know that their deaths were not their fault and that they deserved to live with respect and dignity as their authentic selves. It’s up to us to help remember them because their killers, law enforcement, media, and even their families often seek to erase their existence, and because there are so many others whose deaths were never even reported.

These conversations are hard to have, but we need to have them. We need to create space for the people in our lives who are transgender or gender non-conforming. We need to provide time and attention to those needing to process, and we need to advocate for safety, opportunity, healing, justice and joy in our communities and in our greater society. Together, we can make a difference by being visible, speaking out, educating and organizing around anti-transgender violence.

Honoring Transgender Folks, Everyday
Everyday is the right day to honor trans lives. Examples of additional things we all can consider doing include:

• learn about the transgender community and the violence that disproportionately affects them
• honor, respect and hold space for the transgender people in our lives to live with dignity
• hold others accountable for their instances of derogatory language or behaviors, every time the need arises

For More Information:

Organizations:

Anti-Violence Project
National Center for Transgender Equality
Sylvia Rivera Law Project
Transgender Europe’s Trans Murder Monitoring Project
Transgender Law Center
TransJustice at the Audre Lorde Project

Resources:

Learn more about transgender people on GLAAD’s resource page
GLAAD page on TDOR
Tips for Allies

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Transgender Day of Remembrance is observed annually on November 20. As Chicago’s leading psychotherapy practice dedicated to the LGBTQ+ community, we are proud to acknowledge and celebrate these special dates on the LGBTQ+ calendar. Every day, we strive to provide the highest quality mental health care for clients of all ages and across the spectrum of identities. For anyone needing affirming and validating support or healing with any issue, please click here or email us at help@intraspectrum-chicago.com.