What is Trans Day of Remembrance?
Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR), which takes places every year on Nov. 20, was created in 1999 by trans activist and advocate Gwendolyn Ann Smith, in memory of Rita Hester, a Black trans woman killed in 1998. Hester was murdered just a few days before her 35th birthday in Allston, Massachusetts. What started as a small vigil commemorating those lost to anti-trans violence since her death, began an important annual tradition around the world.
TDOR seeks “to highlight the losses we face due to anti-transgender bigotry and violence,” and that is it “vitally important that those we lose are remembered, and that we continue to fight for justice.” -Smith
Trans Day of Remembrance 2020
350 trans and gender-diverse people were murdered globally between 1 October 2019 and 30 September 2020, a 6% increase from the 2019 report. Many experts believe the number is higher, making 2020 the most deadly year for trans people. They also experienced increased risk due to the COVID-19 pandemic and a rise in both racism and police brutality throughout the world.
The majority of the murders happened in Central and South America; consequently Brazil ranked as the country with the most deaths totaling 152 people followed by Mexico and the United States with 57 and 34 deaths reported. In 2020, the average age of those killed was 31, while the youngest was 15. 71% of hate crime victims were people of color, 52% were trans, and 40% were trans women of color; similarly 22% of trans victims were killed inside their own homes.
This observation day serves to spread awareness of hate crimes against transgender people and to mourn the lives of those lost. Transgender Day of Remembrance also gives LGBTQ+ allies the chance to memorialize those who’ve died.
Ways You Can Get Involved for TDOR
Vigils are usually held in person, but due to the pandemic, resurgence of lockdowns, and restrictions, LGBTQ+ organizers used social media to unite the community in remembrance and in grief. These commemoration events are usually held in parks, community centers, places of worship and are organized annually around November 20 to honor all trans people whose lives were lost to violence that year.
Featured speakers, guests, and loved ones of victims are usually in attendance and help to create a space for people to grieve and mourn. It’s important to avoid impulse responses such as “keep it positive”,“focus on uplifting”, and other insensitive comments that disrupt the space. While there is room to celebrate progress, expressing grief and acknowledging the victims are appropriate and often needed during this time.
There are hundreds of non-profit organizations and groups working to improve the everyday lives of trans people of color. Here is a list of a few:
The Audre Lorde Project– a community organizing center for LGBTQ people of color in New York City.
Casa Ruby–a bilingual and multicultural community center for transgender, genderqueer and gender non-conforming people in Washington, D.C.
Familia:Trans Queer Liberation Movement– a national organization that “addresses, organizes, educates, and advocates for the issues most important to our lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) and Latino communities.”
TGI Justice–“a group of transgender people—inside and outside of prison—creating a united family in the struggle for survival and freedom.”
Translatin@ Coalition- an organization formed by Trans Latin@ leaders who have come together in 2009 to organize and advocate for the needs of Trans Latin@s who are immigrants and reside in the US
Trans Women of Color Collective– amplifies the stories, leadership and lived experiences of trans and gender non-conforming people of color.
You can learn more about the violence affecting the trans community on a day-to-day basis by researching different organizations and groups such as Trans Life Line, Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund, and the National Center for Transgender Equality. Pro-trans activism and education are an important part of the year-round work used to combat anti-trans violence and should not be limited to a single event or month.
For more information on TDOR visit www.tdor.info.
