November 20th is the annual International Transgender Day of Remembrance:
Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR) is an annual observance on November 20 that honors the memory of those whose lives were lost in acts of anti-transgender violence.
Biographies of those who did not survive were read by attendees, like this one:
I don’t remember news media being at TDOR last year. They were here this year. I do remember Sergeant Jessica Hawkins, who leads the Washington, DC MPD Gay and Lesbian Liaison Unit, being here last year. What she told us this evening was that she was allowed to come for 1 hour of the event last year, and it was shortly after she came out as a transgender woman. This year, she fully participated, as did her Lieutenant, who came after hours in support.
While there have been great strides in creating a world that’s learning to love better, a series of reports recently, including “Access Denied,” produced by the Washington, DC community (see: Just Read: Access Denied: Washington, DC Trans Needs Assessment Report, largest of any jurisdiction ever ), show that there are still huge challenges. I am happy to see the community highlight the challenges and advocate for its own destiny. That’s a major step forward.
Thanks for letting me participate.