Transgender Day of Remembrance takes place annually on November 20. It is a time to recall and reflect on the lives of transgender people in our community who are no longer with us because of transphobic violence.
History
The day arose out the 1998 death of Rita Hester, a Black transwoman in Allston, Massachusetts, who was murdered in her home in what remains an unsolved crime. Grieving and determined to honor her memory, a group of friends and community members decided to hold a candlelight vigil. That led to an annual event that is now internationally recognized and is marked by gatherings at which names are read aloud of the transgender, non-binary, and two-spirit individuals whose lives were cut short by violent acts since the previous November 20.
If you wish to hold your own event, you can find the in memoriam list here: https://www.glaad.org/blog/tdor-memoriam, opens a new window
In response to this public grieving for the dead in 2009, Rachel Crandall decided to start the Transgender Day of Visibility. This takes place every March 31 and is a celebration of the lives of trans people and spotlights the discrimination they face and actions we all can take to make the world a safer and more welcoming place.
Suggested Reading
A Quick & Easy Guide to Queer & Trans Identities
Suggested Watching
Laverne Cox, The "T" Word
Jackson Bird, How to Talk (and Listen) to Transgender People
Streaming Movies Available Instantly on Kanopy
- The Journey of Monalisa/El Viaje de Monalisa, opens a new window
- Kumu Hina, opens a new window
- Treasure: From Tragedy to Transjustice, Mapping a Detroit Story, opens a new window
