On November 20th, communities across the world paused in a moment of silence for the transgender people whose lives were lost to anti-transgender violence in honor of Transgender Day of Remembrance. According to international monitoring organizations as many as 265 people were murdered across the world in the last year. And despite the work of trans activists and LGBT organizations, such as GLAAD and NCTE, here in the US, trans Americans remain among the most disenfranchised communities in the country.
"The Transgender Day of Remembrance seeks to highlight the losses we face due to anti-transgender bigotry and violence. I am no stranger to the need to fight for our rights, and the right to simply exist is first and foremost. With so many seeking to erase transgender people -- sometimes in the most brutal ways possible -- it is vitally important that those we lose are remembered, and that we continue to fight for justice." - Transgender Day of Remembrance founder Gwendolyn Ann Smith
As part of our mission to amplify the voices of LGBT people, GLAAD worked with many trans activists and community members to raise visibility about the continued discrimination trans Americans face. From helping Ja’Briel Walthour, a author and trans activist from Georgia, discuss the importance of honoring trans women of color on Ebony.com to pitching and placing a look-back at the most influential transgender entertainers and actors to The Advocate, our goal remains to celebrate LGBT Americans and to help shape the media around our successes and struggles.
For a complete list of our work to honor the lives of trans people we've lost to anti-trans violence, visit www.glaad.org/tdor.
Blog posts and news
- Timeline: A Look Back at the History of Transgender Visibility
- Trans Advocate Ja'Briel Walthour: Honoring Trans Women of Color on TDOR
- Trans People of Color Coalition Founder: Trans People of Color Coalition Founder Kylar Broadus Urges More Equality on TDOR
- National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs Coordinator Chai Jindsaurat: Transgender Day of Remembrance; Remembring Dee Dee Pearson
- Transgender Day of Remembrance founder Gwendolyn Ann Smith: Transgender Day of Remembrance: Why We Remember
- GLAAD and many others have shared inspiring stories of transgender people who are making an impact during Transgender Awareness Week. Read them here.
- The Advocate: 13 Transgender Americans Murdered in 2012
- Huffington Post Gay Voices: List of 50 transgender icons
- Huffington Post Gay Voices: Everyday People
- Huffington Post Gay Voices: Why Centering Race in Transgender Advocacy Is Key to Equality for All
- Univision National: Transgender Day of Remembrance
- Transgender Faith Leaders Help Create Welcoming Communities
- Guest Post: Meeting Spiritual Needs on Transgender Day of Rememberance
- Guest Post: Why I Tell My Story: Putting it All on the Line
- Guest Post: Being the Spouse of a Trans Clergy Man
Resources for media/bloggers
In addition, GLAAD released a new resource kit for journalists reporting on trans people who are victims of violence, urging them to treat trans victims of violence with diginity and respect.
- Check out GLAAD's resource kit for journalist covering TDOR
- Check out GLAAD's Media Reference Guide
- Double Victimized: Reporting on Transgender Victims of Crime.
GLAAD observes #Transgender Day of Remembrance glaad.org/blog/glaad-obs…#tdor#LGBT#trans
— GLAAD (@glaad) November 20, 2012