Four Ways to Commemorate Transgender Day of Remembrance

What’s Transgender Day of Remembrance & how to participate

Observed annually on November 20th, Transgender Day of Remembrance was started in 1999, as a way to honor the memory of those whose lives have been lost in acts of anti-transgender violence. It’s an opportunity to come together and raise awareness surrounding the discrimination of transgender and gender non-conforming people. Want to get involved? Here are four ways to commemorate Transgender Day of Remembrance this year:

1. Find a community event

Communities around the globe come together on Transgender Day of Remembrance to hold vigils at LGBTQIA resource centers, parks, places of worship, and other venues and includes a reading of the names of those lost that year. Additional events often include dialogues and workshops, community art projects or awareness walks, and vary from city to city. Visit the International Transgender Day of Remembrance website or contact your local LGBTQIA organization to see what’s happening in your area.

2. Research & raise awareness

One of the most important steps you can take to honor those lost is to educate yourself and help raise awareness surrounding transgender discrimination and violence. Transgender people are four times more likely to experience violent victimization than cisgender people, and understanding what constitutes transphobia, anti-transgender hatred or prejudice can help us all to speak up and best take action when we see it happening. Take an online course, attend a hosted talk, watch vlogs or read first-person accounts to familiarize yourself with the experiences of transgender and gender non-conforming people, and then share your findings with your own community, family, and friends.

3. Fight for legislative change

Find out what protective legislation is currently in effect in your communities, what needs support to pass, and which politicians up for election are working with advocates to fight for equal rights. Commit some time to advancing your knowledge of the bills and laws that can best protect our trans brothers, sisters, and gender non-conforming people. Because even one life lost to hate is one too many.

4. Support trans media, artists, and businesses

All too often trans stories go unheard. So whether it’s funding an art project, buying a ticket, or voting with your dollars, your patronage of trans creators helps to bring their work to the forefront. The world needs to recognize that trans people have always and will always be here, and by sharing what you love from them, you’re helping to that clear.

Remember the past, pave the future

No matter how you choose to commemorate the occasion, recognizing and participating in Transgender Day of Remembrance is just one of the ways we can fight for a more inclusive and safer future for all.