Saturday, Nov 20th is Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDoR). On this day, we memorialize those lives lost to anti-transgender violence (tw) and focus on ways to prevent violence against the transgender non-conforming (TGNC) community. This day was founded in 1999 by Gwendolyn Ann Smith after the murder of Rita Hester in Massachusetts.
In 2021, at least 44 transgender or nonbinary people have been killed, a majority being Black and Brown transgender women. It has been the highest year on record in the United States. This has been compounded by the ongoing impacts of the pandemic, racially motivated violence, and anti-transgender legislation across the entire country. Over the years, TDoR has grown significantly across the globe and has become a day of action, awareness and community. Learn more below how you can make a positive impact.
Call to Action
Here are some ways you can honor TDoR:
- Vigils - attend a local vigil or memorial in your community by searching for TDoR events online. You can also host your own and read aloud the known names of those who have been murdered to honor their memories
- Donate - donate time or money to local TGNC-serving organizations
- Communicate & Educate – create or share internal communications with resources honoring the day
- External Communications & Media - utilize external communications and platforms to highlight transgender narratives
To find out more, read HRC’s statement here and follow #TDOR and #TransAwarenessWeek on social.