The International Transgender Day of Remembrance is held this year in major cities across the U.S. and abroad on various dates between November 16th through the 21st (Chicago Nov 16th, NYC on the 20th, San Francisco on the 21st). See link below for dates in your city.

The Transgender Day of Remembrance was set aside to memorialize those who were killed due to anti-transgender hatred or prejudice. The event is held in November to honor Rita Hester, whose murder on November 28th, 1998 kicked off the “Remembering Our Dead” web project and a San Francisco candlelight vigil in 1999. Rita Hester’s murder — like most anti-transgender murder cases — has yet to be solved.

Although not every person represented during the Day of Remembrance self-identified as transgender — that is, as a transsexual, crossdresser, or otherwise gender-variant — each was a victim of violence based on bias against transgender people.

The Transgender Day of Remembrance serves several purposes. It raises public awareness of hate crimes against transgender people, an action that current media doesn’t perform. Day of Remembrance publicly mourns and honors the lives of our brothers and sisters who might otherwise be forgotten. Through the vigil, we express love and respect for our people in the face of national indifference and hatred. Day of Remembrance reminds non-transgender people that we are their sons, daughters, parents, friends and lovers. Day of Remembrance gives our allies a chance to step forward with us and stand in vigil, memorializing those of us who’ve died by anti-transgender violence.

Note: This page was taken from http://www.transgenderdor.org/?page_id=4


-- Modified on 11/7/2008 3:48:03 AM

Thank you Jasmine for posting this.  Everyone please go the the link in her post and click the link to "Memorializing 2008."

This is a page with the photos and stories of the TG people, mostly prostitutes who were murdered in the past year.  It puts a face on the statisticts.

Most of the vigils are held at local GLBT Centers.  The one in San Diego draws several hundred people.  Anyone in the area is welcome to attend.

Hugs,
TS Jamie