Transgender Day of Remembrance 2017

Today we pause to remember and honor those in the trans community who were killed this past year due to anti-transgender violence and bigotry. In 2017, there have been 25 documented cases of transgender people killed around the world. The Transgender Day of Remembrance (also known as TDoR) was started back in 1999 by transgender advocate Gwendolyn Ann Smith to honor the memory of Rita Hester, a trans woman who was killed during the prior year. It has since become an important event participated by the LGBTQ+ community and its allies.

“The 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.”
– Transgender Day of Remembrance founder Gwendolyn Ann Smith

To those who want to be with community today, a google search for TDoR events in your area might be helpful in locating a vigil near you. If you have a local LGBT center, that’s also a helpful resource to find a nearby event to participate in. Every vigil is run a bit differently, but generally will involve reading a list of names of those who died this year.

If you are unable to find an event in your area, consider taking a moment for yourself today to pause and pay your respects to those who lost their lives this past year. Light a candle (if you can). Say each name out loud.

Visit https://tdor.info/ to learn more about the significance of the event and to see a list of trans people who lost their lives to violence in 2017 (the same list is often used at TDOR events).

For those interested, LGBTQ Nation has posted a list of some US cities planning a special event for today.