Transgender Day of Remembrance: A day of community and solidarity

This story includes references to violence that may be sensitive to audiences.

MSU observes Transgender Day of Remembrance, or TDOR, annually on Nov. 20. This day honors transgender individuals who have lost their lives to anti-transgender violence.

Transgender Day of Remembrance has been observed annually since 1999. The tradition started and was cofounded by Gwendolyn Ann Smith, a transgender activist, who held a vigil in honor of Rita Hester, a transgender woman who lost her life to anti-transgender violence in 1988. Her death served as a catalyst to call attention to the lives that have been lost to such violence.

Since 1999, the number of vigils and observances has grown; a tradition that began 25 years ago continues to resonate with the transgender community, as the collective work of honoring the dead, raising awareness and advocating for change is far from over.

Unfortunately, many crimes against gender nonconforming individuals go unreported each year and carry a heavy weight on the realities of the transgender community’s proximity to violence. Additionally, transgender women of color face disproportionate rates of anti-trans violence. There is an undeniable link between hate-based crimes and the vulnerable position of transgender women of color, who make up a significant proportion of the lives lost each year.

TDOR is a day of sorrow that memorializes the names, the humanity and the lives that have been taken by anti-trans violence. Every year, new names continue to be added to the list, bringing the trans community together to raise collective awareness and mourn in unity.

The Michigan State University community observes TDOR through the work of impactful groups on campus. The Gender and Sexuality Campus Center, or GSCC, is one of them and hosts a full week of events from Nov. 17 to 22, including:

• Nov. 17, 1–3 p.m., Student Services Building, Room 110: Trans Allyship Workshop
• Nov. 18, 1:30–4 p.m., Student Services Building, Room 302: HIV Testing in Student Services
• Nov. 19, 1–5 p.m., Student Services Building, Room 302: Buttons, Binding and Tucking
• Nov. 19, 1:30–3 p.m., Student Services Building, Room 110: Trans Allyship Workshop
• Nov. 20, 5:30–7:30 p.m., Multicultural Center, Room 103: Transgender Day of Remembrance Banquet
• Nov. 22, 7–10 p.m., Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center, Big Ten Room A: Winter Gayla

The intention behind these events is to foster community, create an environment for collective solidarity and highlight the livelihoods of transgender individuals. The Transgender Day of Remembrance Banquet will take place on Nov. 20 and is an evening dedicated to recognizing and honoring the lives of transgender individuals. Programming for the event will include dinner from Woody’s Oasis, student and community speakers, a reading of names, the creation and presentation of community art, and a reflection period with Counseling and Psychiatric Services to support mental health and well-being.

As a new addition to this year’s events, the Winter Gayla is especially anticipated. The main coordinator of the event, the student organization TransAction, said it will provide community members the opportunity to come together after a time of mourning transgender siblings and celebrate queer identity. As a coordinator at the GSCC shared, “There has to be joy in the context of sorrow.”

The Winter Gayla will include a silent auction, with proceeds funding a memorial bench for trans and nonbinary MSU students. These events serve as a call to action and highlight the need to talk about anti-trans violence alongside the intersection of identity and within the context of creating a culture where transgender individuals are valued and safe.

TDOR is a day to hold space for the lives that have been lost to transgender violence. Honoring lives that have been lost goes beyond just one day. It is also a collective movement for change, advocacy and allyship. To learn more about resources and how to support, visit gscc.msu.edu.