Transgender Awareness Week is a time for transgender people and their allies to take action and bring attention to the community by educating the public and advancing advocacy around the issues of prejudice, discrimination, and violence that transgender people face. 

During the Week individuals and organizations around the country participate to help raise the visibility of transgender and gender non-conforming people, and address the issues the community faces. 

 

After Transgender Awareness Week is Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR), an annual observance on November 20 that honors the memory of those whose lives were lost in acts of anti-transgender violence. 

It was started by transgender advocate Gwendolyn Ann Smith as a vigil to honor her memory of Rita Hester, a transgender woman who was killed in 1998. The vigil commemorated all the transgender people lost to violence that year and began an important memorial that has become the annual Transgender Day of Remembrance.

Even if you do not attend one of the Vigils organized by local Trans Groups, we can all still take a private moment to remember the 25 trans and non-gender conforming souls who have been murdered this year already in the U.S. alone : Mesha Caldwell, Sean Hake, Jaime Lee Wounded Arrow, Jojo Striker, Tiara Richmond, Chyna Gibson, Ciara McElven, Jaquarriis Holland, Alphonza Watson, Chay Reed, Kenneth Bostick, Sherrell Faulkner, Kenne McFadden, Kendra Marie Adams, Ava LeRay Barrin, Ebony Morgan, Tee Tee Dangerfield, Gwynevere River Song, Kiwi Herring, Kashmire Nazier Redd, Derricka Banner, Scout Schultz, Ally Steinfeld, Stephanie Montez, Candance Towns.…… and all the other unnamed trans people who have been killed.