We remember those taken from us by anti-transgender violence and transphobia through murder and suicide – centering the experiences of trans women of color, who continue to be targeted in our community and country as well as around the world.
Transgender and gender non-binary community members come together with the greater LGBTQ community, allies, civic leaders, Hood College students and staff, and loved ones and neighbors to share our grief and anger, appreciate the lives and gifts of those lost, highlight the legacy of transgender people, and commit to work towards trans-inclusive social justice.
The names of transgender people lost in 2017 to an epidemic of violence at home and abroad will be a focus of the observance.
This is the second Transgender Day of Remembrance event in Frederick organized and led by the transgender community. Following the July 26 reinstatement of the ban on transgender soldiers in the U.S. military and record numbers of murdered trans people for the fourth year running, it is imperative that we gather and support this marginalized people.
This event, celebrated internationally, is a critical expression of concern about increasing levels of anti-trans violence as we work for a world free of hatred and brutality. “In Houston, Missouri, a transgender teen was brutally killed and defaced. She was further erased by both local and national media, who identified her with a male name and pronoun,” says Marcia Simpson, a local community leader and member of the planning committee.
“We are going to say her name, Ally Steinfeld, and talk about the need to understand and support work committed to ending ignorance and anti-trans violence.”
The event is free, but donations are welcome and will support local trans resources. Wheelchair accessible. More information is available online at twitter account @FredTDoR, please use hashtag #FredTDoR for all social media mentions. The announcement flyer appears on Facebook.
In November 1998, the murders of trans women Chanel Pickett and Rita Hester in Boston MA inspired a local candlelight vigil and the creation of the international Trans Day of Remembrance, now observed in dozens of countries and hundreds of cities – more here.
The Frederick Center was founded in 2012 with the vision of being the leading organization for LGBTQ resources and advocacy in central Maryland. It mission is to support, educate, link, organize, and provide outreach to the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) community and its allies.
Contact The Frederick Center at: TheFrederickcenter.org; tfc@thefrederickcenter.org;
facebook.com/TheFrederickCenter; facebook.com/TheFrederickCenterYouth; The Frederick Center, PO Box 3231, Frederick, MD 21705-3231.
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