Every year, November 20 is observed as the Transgender Day of Remembrance, in honor of transgender people lost in the previous year. Transgender Day of Remembrance, or TDOR, is preceded by Transgender Awareness Week. The goal is to bring national and worldwide awareness to anti-transgender violence, and put a stop to it. And until that happens, it will be necessary to inform cisgender people–those of us whose gender identities easily match anatomical and social expectations–that our condition is a privilege, and that transgender and non-binary people do not owe us any changes to their lives. Unfortunately, too many of us operate under the assumption that they do.
This year, TDOR honors fifty-three known transgender Americans, who died between October 1, 2019 and September 30, 2020. That number accounts for almost 14% of known transgender deaths worldwide–results of violence, self-harm, undetermined causes, or COVID-19.
Transgender people face constant threats of transphobic violence, domestic violence, housing discrimination, employment discrimination, homelessness, sex trafficking, improper imprisonment, depression, suicide, and medical discrimination and neglect. Some of these threats are even supported by anti-transgender legislation.
And in overwhelming disproportion, the highest risk factors are specifically for Black trans women.
These threats, and other conflicts with the general public, are entirely due to misinformation, disinformation, complete lack of information, or prejudices against transgender people, which means they are completely preventable.
So I would encourage anybody to start here and further educate themselves on issues transgender people face. There is no reason for people to die just because of their identity. If you support your own right to be who you are, support others’ too.
-Maude
November 20, 2020