Honor The Transgender Day Of Remembrance
Every year at the end of November, communities across the globe come together to commemorate the International Transgender Day of Remembrance—a day dedicated to honoring trans* people who have lost their lives to acts of violence over the past year. You can click here to find a TDOR event in your area.
This year, Standing on the Side of Love and the Church of the Larger Fellowship will host an online vigil that can be attended by anyone with a computer and internet access. Together, we will mourn those who are no longer with us, while also offering hope, beauty, and a celebration of the living.
Please join me online for the Transgender Day of Remembrance vigil on Monday, November 19 at 8:00pm ET. Click here to RSVP and spread the word.
The Transgender Day of Remembrance is a day of mixed feelings for me: deep grief at the loss of so many beautiful trans* people and the sadness of knowing that the vast majority of those injured and killed for being themselves are poor trans* women of color. It is such a stark reminder of the ways that race, class, transphobia and other oppressions multiply the danger exponentially. I am glad we have this day to honor these beautiful lives that ended too soon.
At the same time, each Transgender Day of Remembrance I feel sad that the day set aside as a “transgender holiday” is a day of counting and naming our dead. I long for a day of Transgender Pride—a celebration of the lives of trans* people and their lives. At this year’s vigil, we will try to do both: to solemnly honor our dead while also recognizing the gifts that trans* people bring to our communities and the world. We hope you will join us.
No matter who you are or where you live, you can honor the Transgender Day of Remembrance by joining our online vigil. Click here to RSVP and spread the word. If you’re already planning a TDOR event in your community, click here to access resources from Standing on the Side of Love.
* – “Trans*” is an all-inclusive, umbrella term that refers to all of the non-normative identities within the gender identity spectrum. Check out this article to learn more.
Image Flickr Alesa Dam