Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR) is internationally recognized on November 20th every year. This day raises public awareness of hate crimes against transgender people; it is a day to publicly mourn and honour the lives of those who might otherwise be erased and forgotten. 2020 was the worst year on record for the murder of trans people worldwide.
TDOR began in honour of Rita Hester, whose murder on November 28th, 1998 sparked the “Remembering Our Dead” web project. Her murder — like most anti-transgender murder cases — has yet to be solved. In 2020, as always, trans women who are Black, Indigenous and women of colour are the majority of those who we must, yet again, name as victims of hatred and violence. Please find a United Church resource here, and a Jewish prayer for the day here. Please check your local Pride Society for online vigils, as public vigils are very unlikely this year.
