Monday, November 20, marked the 18th International Transgender Day of Remembrance.
TDOR was founded in 1999 by Gwendolyn Ann Smith to memorialize the murder of transgender woman Rita Hester in Allston, Massachusetts. Since then, the day has grown into an international event and a way to memorialize transgender people who have been murdered by transphobia.
TDOR is observed in over 200 cities throughout more than 25 nations. In New Orleans, a commemorative event was held at Congo Square on Saturday, November 25.
According to BreakOUT!, a local transgender youth advocacy group, “2017 has become one of the most dangerous years of record for transgender people, especially transgender women of color. As of this writing there have been at least 25 murders of transgender people in America, most of them Black transgender women. In New Orleans, QTPOC youth continue to deal with violence, be pushed out of homes, schools, and jobs, and are criminalized on the streets of the city in which they were born and raised. In spite of this, QTPOC youth continue to build, grow, and transform, showing remarkable resistance and resilience.”
“This day is meant to remember those who have come before us but local QTPOC youth also want to shift the meaning of the “R” in TDOR to recognize resilience and resistance, both of their ancestors and their present-day community. BreakOUT!’s goals for this year are to continue to come together as a community, to shine a light on the criminalization that our community faces at the hands of the police and criminal justice system, and to recognize the resilience and resistance of both our ancestors and our present-day community.”
Thus far in 2017, 325 trans men and women have been murdered worldwide. As of this writing, 26 trans people have been murdered in the U.S.
Their names are listed here:
- Kendra Marie Adams
- Jamie Lee Wounded Arrow
- Derricka Banner
- Ava Le’Ray Barrin
- Kenneth Bostick
- Mesha Caldwell
- Tee Tee Dangerfield
- Sherrell Faulkner
- Chyna Gibson
- Sean Hake
- Kiwi Herring
- Jaquarrius Holland
- Ciara McElveen
- Kenne McFadden
- Jaylow McGlory
- Stephanie Montez
- Ebony Morgan
- Kashmire Nazier Redd
- Chay Reed
- Tiara Richmond
- Scout Schultz
- Gwynevere River Song
- Ally Steinfeld
- JoJo Striker
- Candace Towns
- Alphonza Watson
