Trans

717 people. 717 people with families. 717 people with dreams and hopes.
717 people with good days, bad days, days of utter confidence and bliss. According
to transgenderdor.org since 1970, 717 transgender people have been murdered
out of hate and in the last 12 months alone, 73 murders have occurred in the
transgendered community. In 1998 a woman named Rita Hester was murdered
following her “Remembering Our Dead” event. Because of this, Gwendolyn Ann
Smith created the Transgender Day of Remembrance for November 20th
of every year.
Organizations such as The Trevor Project and Glaad and more than 200
hundred locations hosted Transgender Day of Remembrance events from vigils to
marches, to discussions. Chico hosted a screening on campus of the film Two Spirit
following the brutal murder of a young adult who had received acceptance from
those around him. There was also a very moving memorial in the commons of a
group of flags representing a portion of those who passed due to hate crimes. It was
incredibly powerful, despite being such a simple portrayal.
In an ideal world, we wouldn’t need to have a day to remember such terrible
events instead we could celebrate the people who were comfortable in their own
skin and were beginning to find or had found themselves.


-Whitney Urmann