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..

Transgender Week Of Awareness Events In Da Ville

TransGriot Note: Yeah, I'm still on the activist e-mail lists for a lot of what goes on in Louisville, and they made sure I got this one since I used to help plan some of these events while I lived there.
To any media peeps in the Louisville area who happen to be reading TransGriot, you are invited to attend these events.

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TRANSGENDER WEEK OF AWARENESS EVENTS

Trans Student Speakout, Tuesday, Nov 15, 7:00 p.m., Shumaker Research Building at UofL, Room 137 - A panel of transgender students discuss their lives.

TransView, Tuesday, Nov 15, 9:30 p.m., Starbase Q, 921 West Main Street  - A discussion on the trans community from six different viewpoints. Panelists include: Holly Knight, Alana Montgomery, AJ Jones, Bejon St. James, Daiyu Hurst, and Lucian Grey (21+ event)

Transgender Health Discussion, Wednesday, Nov 16, 3:30 p.m., Multipurpose Room, Campus Health Services at UofL - A panel of trans people and other health professionals will discuss health care, body image, and other issues; hosted by Campus Health Services and the LGBT Service Health Liaison.

"Fairness Campaign: 20 Years of Making It Better" History Panel on Trans Inclusion, Wednesday, Nov 16, 6:30 p.m., McAtee Room in the Winn Center, Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, 1044 Alta Vista Rd -  Panelists include Fairness Campaign co-founders, straight and queer allies, and early transgender community leaders: Lisa Gunterman, Beth Harrison Prado, K.A. Owens, David Williams, and Dawn Wilson moderated by Chris Hartman.

Pastoring Transgender-Inclusive Congregations, Friday, Nov 18, 12:30 p.m., McAtee Room in the Winn Center, Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, 1044 Alta Vista Rd - Sponsored by the Women's Center at Louisville Seminary, this free clergy panel discussion focuses on the blessings and challenges of ministry in a setting that openly welcomes transgender worshippers and members.

Transgender Week of Awareness Afterparty, Friday, Nov 18, 10:00 p.m., Starbase Q, 921 West Main Street - 21+ party in celebration of the transgender community.

Movie Showing - Gun Hill Road, Saturday, Nov 19, 1:00 p.m., UofL's Chao Auditorium, Ekstrom Library - The story of a teen exploring gender identity and sexuality in an intolerant and judgmental world and his exploration's impact on his relationship with his parents and himself. Sponsored by PFLAG (Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbian and Gays) and UofL's trans-activist student group, T2.

Transgender Day of Remembrance Service, Sunday, Nov 20, 7:00 p.m., Outside the Red Barn in the center of UofL's campus - Memorial service recognizing transgender individuals whose lives were lost to anti-trans violence.

TDOR 2011 Update 2

Been a while since I've done a TDOR update post and needed to do one since we're getting closer to November 20th.  

As the calendar and the clock inexorably ticks toward the 13th anniversary observance of the International Transgender Day of Remembrance, the list of events taking place around the world is growing longer.  

Thankfully the list of names of the people we are memorializing has not and I pray it stays that way.

Just a reminder if you're having or in the final planning stages of a TDOR event, please e-mail the information for it to Ethan St. Pierre at transgenderdor@gmail.com and get that to him so that he can include it on the TDOR Events list.  You can also follow the updates on Twitter at:: http://twitter.com/Transgenderdor 

And yeah, make sure these events are as diverse as possible.   Most of the people we are memorializing after all are POC's.  It's one of the times our community gets media coverage and it would be nice if media people, the folks reading the stories and watching broadcasts of TDOR memorials see the diversity of the rainbow community .

The local TDOR here in Houston will be held at the University of Houston's Farish Hall on Saturday November 19 in Farish Hall's KIVA Room from 7:00-9:30 PM .  

TDOR 2011 Update

Will be keeping you TransGriot readers up to date on the latest information for the upcoming 13th Annual Transgender Day of Remembrance on Sunday, November 20.

The list of people we are memorializing for 2011 was updated on September 16, with Gaurav Gopalan of Washington DC added to it. Information for upcoming TDOR events is also starting to be added to the event location lists. 

For you Texans, the Austin TDOR will be held on November 20 at Austin City Hall starting at 6 PM.

The Dallas TDOR will be held on November 20 from 6 PM to 7:30 PM at the at the Interfaith Peace Chapel.   The address of the chapel is 5910 Cedar Springs Road in Dallas, Texas 75235. For more info on it you can check out the Dallas TDOR webpage or their Facebook event page for updates.

San Antonio will have a TDOR event at the MCC San Antonio church on Thursday, November 17 at 6:30 PM.  Nikki Araguz will be the keynote speaker.  MCC San Antonio is located at 611 East Myrtle, San Antonio, TX 78212.   There will also be another TDOR event on November 20 at 6:00 PM in front of the San Antonio City Hall.

As for Houston, nothing posted yet on the event list, but when I get that info I most certainly will pass it along to you.

If you have any info concerning a TDOR event you are planning please e-mail Ethan St. Pierre at transgenderdor@gmail.com to expeditiously get that information to him for inclusion on the TDOR Events list.  You can also follow the updates on Twitter at:: http://twitter.com/Transgenderdor

TransGriot Update:
Houston TDOR will take place on Saturday, November 19 at Farish Hall's KIVA Room on the UH Campus from 7:00-9::30 PM.