The transgender community has endured various forms of abuse (and even death) for millennia because they have questioned the beliefs, concepts, and stereotypes surrounding “male” and “female” identities. We designate November 20 as Transgender Day of Remembrance each year. This event is intended to recognize, remember, and memorialize people who experience stigma and discrimination across the country (sometimes on a daily basis). This festival also aims to raise awareness of the problems that transgender individuals continue to experience in daily life and how others can show them love and support.
When is Transgender Day of Remembrance
The annual Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR), which is held on November 20, honors the memory of transgender individuals who lost their lives as a result of anti-transgender violence.
Transgender Day of Remembrance History
Rita Hester, a transgender woman who was murdered in 1998, is remembered each year on Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR), which was established in 1999 by transgender advocate Gwendolyn Ann Smith. The vigil honored all transgender persons who have died as a result of violence since Rita Hester’s passing and established a significant custom that has evolved into the yearly Transgender Day of Remembrance. Transgender Day of Remembrance has been observed in the County of San Mateo since 2015. We hope that by offering these annual days of action, we can raise public awareness of the issue, educate people about it, and increase its visibility.
“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
Transgender Day of Remembrance Activities
Participate in the Transgender Day of Remembrance by holding a vigil on November 20 to remember all the transgender persons who lost their lives to anti-transgender violence that year and to raise awareness of the violence that transgender people experience. Vigils are frequently organized by LGBTQ or local transgender advocacy groups and conducted in community centers, parks, places of worship, and other locations. The reading of a list of names of those who died that year is a common part of the vigil.
Participate in food drives, candlelight vigils, and movie screenings.
You and your friends can remember the victims of anti-transgender violence at a vigil. To raise money and awareness for the transgender community, you can also start a food drive.
protest on
Taking part in a marathon or walk-a-thon that supports the transgender cause is one of the best methods to raise money and express support.
Aid transgender rights organizations
The Audre Lorde Project, Casa Ruby, Familia: Trans Queer Liberation Movement, and other organizations are among them. Look into local organizations that assist the LGBTQ+ community, and encourage others to contribute as well.
