Today marks the Transgender Day of Remembrance, a time to honor the lives of those who died because of anti-transgender hatred or prejudice. I wish all of my transgender friends and readers love on this day of mourning. May those of us who are cisgender rededicate ourselves to safety, support, equality, and justice for transgender people.
Content warning for mention of transphobic violence.
Here is the worldwide memorial list for this year, compiled by Trangender Europe as part of its Trans Murder Monitoring (TMM) project. It is far too long, though even one name would be too many. It is also likely an undercount, as many deaths are unreported or reported under a name that hides and denies the person’s trans identity. The list, as always, is predominantly of trans women of color. Among other sobering facts about the people lost this year:
- 375 trans and gender-diverse people were murdered, 7% more than in the TMM update 2020;
- 96% of those murdered globally were trans women or transfeminine people;
- Murders of trans people in the United States have doubled from last year; people of color make up 89% of the 53 trans people murdered;
- The average age of those murdered is 30 years old; the youngest being 13 years old and the oldest 68 years old.
The Transgender Day of Remembrance was founded by Gwendolyn Ann Smith to honor Rita Hester, murdered on November 28th, 1998, in Allston, Massachusetts. Monica Roberts’ 2007 piece about Rita Hester and the origins of TDOR can tell you more. Roberts, a blogger and advocate, died of natural causes, but far too young, in 2020. She had spent much of her time tracking and identifying transgender victims of murder, many of whom were misreported by the mainstream media under their birth names, not their chosen and lived ones. She showed the injustice in their deaths—but also showed us stories of transgender lives. I also encourage you to read “This and Every TDOR: Remember Rita Hester,” by Diego Miguel Sanchez, director of advocacy, policy & partnerships at PFLAG.
For those of us who are cisgender, today is a good day to reflect on what each of us must do to help end the violence, starting with our own actions, e.g., using someone’s self-stated name and pronouns, speaking out when we hear anti-trans remarks or hear of anti-trans actions in our communities, and educating our children, no matter what their own identities are, about what it means to be transgender or gender nonconforming. We can celebrate and support the lives of trans people and listen to their stories. We can urge lawmakers to pass trans-inclusive anti-discrimination legislation and to reject legislation that demeans and ignores trans people’s gender identities and rights. We can donate to organizations like the Transgender Law Center, Sylvia Rivera Law Project, National Center for Transgender Equality, Anti-Violence Project, and Trans Youth Equality Foundation, among others. (As always, do your own due diligence before donating.)
May the lives of those lost not be forgotten. May they inspire us to continue working for justice and peace.
