Transgender Day of Remembrance

Each year, on and around November 20th, PFLAG joins in honoring the Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR), which began after the 1998 murder of Rita Hester.

The Transgender Day of Remembrance raises public awareness of hate crimes against transgender people, and offers an opportunity for us to gather together and publicly mourn the lives of our trans loved ones who might otherwise be forgotten.

We encourage everyone to participate in TDOR vigils, whether virtually or in person. Many of our PFLAG chapters will host virtual TDOR events via their PFLAG Connects meetings. Find the chapter nearest you and ask how they are honoring the day.

Sadly, 2023 has already seen at least 438 transgender or gender non-conforming people die by violent means, as aggregated by the Trans Remembrance project, created by our friends at National Center for Transgender Equality. We say “at least,” because often these stories go unreported or misreported. As in previous years, the majority of lives taken were those of Black and Latina transgender women.

As PFLAG members and supporters–as human beings–it is imperative that we boldly, loudly, and publicly honor those we have lost to anti-trans violence and hate, and speak out against violence anywhere we see it.

Simultaneously, as we honor those we have lost, we must use this as an opportunity to strongly recommit to trans inclusion at all levels of our work, providing support to people who are transgender and to those who love them; providing education to those who still lack the understanding necessary to be good allies; and advocating for protections at all levels of government: local, state, and federal.