TDOR: Never Forget The Transpeople Who Died

November 20 and the observance of another Transgender Day of Remembrance event will be here before we know it.   Once again we'll be lighting candles and reading the names of the people who lost their lives in the twelve month period between the 2010 event and the one we're having this year.

The TDOR's not only are to memorialize the people we lost, they are for the transpeople who are living.

They are not supposed to be happy-happy joy-joy.   It is a memorial service, not a party or an opportunity to fundraise for your Gay, Inc organizations coffers.   

It is designed so that we never forget the over 400 people who have died as a result of anti-transgender violence. 

70% of the people on the Remembering Our Dead list are persons of color and as you peruse the names of the departed ones we are memorializing this year that pattern sadly continues.

We hope and pray as a worldwide trans community that the inevitable march of human rights for transpeople, facts based scientific knowledge about us, information about our lives, more of us feeling comfortable in our bodies and living our everyday lives will result in the lessening of anti-trans violence directed at us.

But until that day happens, we'll continue to gather at places around the world along with our family, friends and allies.  We'll laugh, cry, sing, pray, and resolve to never forget the transpeople who died..