Stonewall recognizes Transgender Day of Remembrance today. NCCo Coordinator Liz Vessey shares the following: Today, November 20th, marks the annual Transgender Day of Remembrance. Founded in 1998 to memorialize murder victim Rita Hester, today the TDOR stands as a reflection and remembrance of all transgender people whose lives were violently cut short in the past year. Although in many ways 2014 has been a landmark year for trans visibility and trans rights, the fact remains that many transgender people, especially transgender women and more specifically transgender women of color, are victims of horrific violence just because they try to live authentically. As a transgender woman myself, I consider myself to be exceptionally fortunate. I live in Delaware, where as of 2013 I can no longer be evicted from my residence or fired from my job simply for being trans. I am not rich, but am not poor either and do not fear for the source of my next meal like many trans individuals do. I live and work in supportive environments and am surrounded by people who love and support me for being myself. Still, I need to be careful, as do all of my transgender brothers and sisters. As a transgender woman, there is a 1 in 12 chance that someday my name will be included in TDOR ceremonies worldwide. Violence against transgender people is an epidemic, and we as an educated and forward-thinking society need to work towards inclusion and safety for all people. Today we commemorate the lives of trans people who were violently taken from this world. Let us focus on making the world a better place and on removing the need for a Transgender Day of Remembrance in the future. There is still more good work to do, and it starts with learning more about the struggles others face. Use these links to learn more about issues facing our family in the trans community: Transgender Day of Remembrance: tdor.info/ Transgender Issues: a Fact Sheet - transgenderlaw.org/resources/transfactsheet.pdf Domestic Violence in the Transgender community Matters - transgenderlawcenter.org/archives/9392 General Resources - transequality.org/Resources/ Trans Healthcare - srlp.org/new-trans-healthcare-infographic-from-srlp-and-glaad/ Delaware Stonewall Democrats - delawarestonewall.org/
Posted on: Thu, 20 Nov 2014 22:47:22 +0000
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