Theses are just a few of the ways PowerOn partners across the country observed Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR), a time when LGBTQ+ communities honor the victims of transphobic violence everywhere.
Violence against trans people has been steadily increasing over the past decade. This year, ninety-eight percent of those killed were trans women or femmes. Sixty-two percent were sex workers. In the United States, 79 percent were trans people of color. With 350 recorded murders of trans and gender non-conforming people worldwide, 2020 has become the deadliest year on record for the trans community.*
With a COVID-19 changing how LGBTQ+ organizations connect with communities, centers across the U.S. states and territories are finding new ways to mourn the dead and fight for the living. Here's how twelve of our thirty-one PowerOn partners honored TDOR this year.
Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center
Allentown, PA
On November 21, Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center, along with Eastern PA Trans Equity Project and Metropolitan Community Church of the Lehigh Valley, hosted an outdoor, socially-distanced TDOR vigil for members of the community.
Brave Space Alliance
Chicago, IL
Brave Space Alliance hosted a virtual vigil over Facebook Live to honor and acknowledge victims of transphobic violence and systemic injustice.
Hudson Pride Center
Jersey City, NJ
Hudson Pride Center hosted a Virtual Space for Trans Expression to memorialize those lost to transphobic violence. The event included a reading of the names of the victims followed by an open mic for transgender, gender non-conforming, and nonbinary people.
Kansas City Center for Inclusion
Kansas City, MO
Kansas City Center for Inclusion, in partnership with th Kansas City Anti-Violence Project, hosted a socially distanced rally and march to protest the violence trans and gender non-conforming people face worldwide.
The Newburgh LGBTQ+ Center
Newburgh, NY
To honor the victims of violence this year, the Newburgh LGBTQ+ Center placed temporary installations in public places throughout the Poughkeepsie and Newburgh areas.
OUTMemphis
Memphis, TN
Through the course the day on social media, OUTMemphis posted for each of the victims lost this year, each urging followers to #SayTheirNames.
Pride Community Services Organization
Lexington, KY
Pride Community Services Organization joined several other groups in hosting a virtual vigil for the central Kentucky community.
Shenandoah LGBTQ Center
Staunton, VA
Shenandoah LGBTQ Center hosted a virtual vigil over Facebook Live for the Shenandoah Valley and Staunton communities.
Sunserve Youth
Fort Lauderdale, FL
PowerOn partner SunServe Youth joined several groups, including the Human Rights Campaign, in co-sponsoring a virtual memorial for victims of transphobic violence.
Triangle Community Center
Norwalk, CT
To commemorate the victims, Triangle Community Center made memorial posts on social media that celebrated the life each person and honored their loss.
Waves Ahead
San Juan, PR
Waves Ahead partnered with Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) to host a PFLAG Connects virtual vigil.
Whitman-Walker Health
Washington, DC
Whitman-Walker Health shared info graphics that outlined the violence trans people face, the history of Transgender Day of Remembrance, and the trans-specific services Whitman-Walker offers its clients.
*All statistics courtesy of Transrespect Versus Transphobia Worldwide (TvT), a project of Transgender Europe (TGEU). https://transrespect.org/en/tmm-update-tdor-2020/
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