Transgender Awareness Week & Day of Remembrance
Transgender Awareness Week & Day of Remembrance
Each year, Equality Virginia and countless other organizations throughout the Commonwealth observe Transgender Awareness Week (TAW) from November 13-19 . This week is dedicated to education about transgender and nonbinary communities as well as the important issues facing trans people across the globe. It is a time of celebration and of deepening our understanding. The week culminates with the Transgender Day of Remembrance and Resilience (TDORR), a worldwide gathering to honor the trans and nonbinary folks who have lost their lives due to anti-trans violence.
We invite you to learn about those who were taken from us too soon, most of whom are Black and Latina trans women, and celebrate their life. We honor and lift up those who we have lost, while striving to empower and fight for those who are still with us. We also invite you to learn from Black trans and nonbinary community members in Virginia and elsewhere who deserve their flowers now! A great place to start is checking out these TIES 2020 and TIES 2021 keynote speakers.
We hope you can make it to an event whether virtual or socially distanced. Read below to learn how communities around Virginia are remembering. If you know of a TAW or TDORR event that is not listed, please use this google form or emails us at [email protected] and we will be sure to add it.
Central Virginia
Transgender Day of Remembrance: Ending the Epidemic of Murdered Black Trans Women
Saturday, November 20 at 10:00am
Streaming live on Nationz Foundation and IPowerRichmond‘s Facebook pages
This Saturday 10:00am, Nationz Foundation presents Transgender Day of Remembrance: “Ending the Epidemic of Murdered Black Trans Women.” Join us on Facebook Live on Nationz Foundation and IPowerRichmond’s Facebook pages. The discussion will feature Zakia McKensey, founder and executive director of Nationz Foundation, Kayla Finn, Outreach Worker/PrEP Navigator at Nationz Foundation, and Destiny Hill, Transcend Specialist at Nationz Foundation. It will be moderated by Clovia Lawrence.
Transgender Day of Remembrance and Resilience
Saturday, November 20 at 7:00pm
Streaming live on the Nationz Foundation Facebook Page
Join us to honor the memory of the transgender individuals whose lives were lost in acts of anti-transgender violence and those in the continued fight for transgender liberation. Hosted by Nationz Foundation.
Transgender Day Of Remembrance Vigil
Sunday, November 21 at 11:00am
4415 Boonesboro Road Lynchburg VA
Hosted by Church of the Covenant/Refuge: The Center for Human Growth
Join us at the Church of the Covenant to remember the Trans lives lost to anti-Trans violence. Charley Burton of Black Transmen Inc will be keynote speaker at the event recognizing Transgender Day of Remembrance.
Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR) was started in 1999 by transgender advocate Gwendolyn Ann Smith as a vigil to honor the memory of Rita Hester, a transgender woman who was killed in 1998. The vigil commemorated all the transgender people lost to violence since Rita Hester’s death and began an important tradition that has become the annual Transgender Day of Remembrance.
Hampton Roads
Pre-Transgender Day of Remembrance Celebration of Life Ceremony
Wednesday, November 17 at 6:00-9:00pm (Vigil at 7:00pm)
Southeastern Transgender Resource Center
3519 Colley Ave, Norfolk, VA 23508
All are welcome, and refreshments will be served. The Southeastern Transgender Resource Center (STRC) presents a Pre-Transgender Day of Remembrance Celebration of Life Ceremony on Wednesday, November 17, 2021 at 3519 Colley Ave, Norfolk, VA 23508
Hampton Roads’ Transgender Day of Remembrance 2021
Saturday, November 20 from 6:00-7:00pm
Facebook Live – register at https://bit.ly/HRVATDOR2021
Hampton Roads Transgender Day of Remembrance 2021 will take place on Saturday, November 20 from 6 PM to 7 PM. TDOR 2021 will Commemorate the trans people who have died by violence and help us remember how brave it is to live our authentic lives. Join us for a Zoom and Facebook Live Transgender Day of Remembrance event. Register at: bit.ly/HRVATDOR2021
Speakers and performers wanted: lend your voice or talent to help us honor our trans family that has been taken too soon by senseless violence, contact Hudson Heinrich – [email protected].
Transgender Assistance Program will be posting the names and bios of those we lost during the past year on Facebook and Instagram on November 20.
Sponsors include Southeastern Transgender Resource Center, New Life Metropolitan Community Church of Hampton Roads, Transgender Assistance Program of Virginia – TAP VA, and LGBT Life Center.
Trans Day of Remembrance
Saturday, November 20 from 5:00-8:00pm
Empowering Transgender Services, Inc.
Everyone will be inboxed location. All ages event. Balloon release in honor of Kandi Barr. Sky lantern release for all the fallen transgender people we lost in 2021. #TransLivesMatter #SayTheirName
Northern Virginia and Washington, DC
Transgender Day of Remembrance Walk
Thursday, November 18 at 6:00pm
Universities at Shady Grove
9630 Gudelsky Dr, Rockville, MD 20850
Please join us on Thursday, Nov 18th, at Universities at Shady Grove (9630 Gudelsky Drive, Rockville, MD) for our Transgender Day of Remembrance Walk. Registration begins at 6 PM on the quad and parking is free. The Registration url is tinyurl.com/usgTDOR21 and this event is hosted by The Universities at Shady Grove, the MoCo Pride Center, and Free2b at USG.
Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR) 2021: We Remember, We Unite, We Honor
Sat, November 20 from 11:00am-2:00pm
DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Largo/Washington DC
9100 Basil Court, Largo, MD 20774
We are excited to be hosting our annual TDOR event with the theme of “We Remember, We Unite, We Honor.” This year’s featured guests include: Keynote Speaker: Monroe Alise. “We Remember”: Alexis Blackmon. “We Unite”: Ty Williams. “We Honor”: Charmaine Eccles. Entertainer: Delila B. Lee. Soloist: Johnathon Walker. Poem: Chantal Lee. Hosted by Heart to Hand, Inc.
Transgender Day of Remembrance
Saturday, November 20 from 3:30-5:00pm
Maury Playground Park (William St and Kenmore Ave), Fredericksburg
In observance and honor of those transgender people who lives were lost in acts of anti-transgender violence. Hosted by the Rappahannock Region Transgender Support.
Transgender Day of Remembrance – Virtual Coffee Talk & Vigil
Saturday, November 20 from 7:00-8:30pm
Online event.
Register here to receive the Zoom link: tinyurl.com/AQUADCTDoR2021
Hosted by AQUA (Asian and Pacific Islander Queers United for Action) DC, and faciliated by Bianca Rey and Mela Habijan. Come together with us for an evening of reflection and healing as we honor and memorialize those that have been lost due to transphobic violence, address issues the community faces, and learn how we can move toward becoming a better ally to transgender people. Register here to receive the Zoom link: tinyurl.com/AQUADCTDoR2021
Northern Virginia Interfaith Transgender Day of Remembrance Service
Saturday, November 20 at 7:30pm
Online – register here: tinyurl.com/NOVATDOR21
Hosted by Transgender Education Association of Greater Washington; Metropolitan Community Church of Northern Virginia; Unitarian Universalist Church of Accotink. Interfaith religious service online, register here: tinyurl.com/NOVATDOR21.
Black Trans Joy Brunch
Sunday, November 21 from 11:00am-3:00pm
The Chateau Remix
3439 Benning Rd NE, Washington, D.C. 20019
Join BONDS, Flux, and Damien Ministries for the BLACK TRANS JOY BRUNCH! Featuring live performances celebrating Black Trans culture and a three-category Mini Ball. Tickets are $10 and include brunch and a limited open bar.
Mistress of Ceremony, Monroe Alise. Performances from 2:00, Ricky, Tasha Long, Gibby Thomas, and Achim Howard.
Mini Ball Categories
Best Dressed – $300 cash prize
Performance – $300 cash prize
Runway – $300 cash prize
Transgender Day of Remembrance
Sunday, November 21 at 2:30pm
Virtual Service
TDOR is technically Nov 20th, but we’ll be conducting our annual remembrance ceremony on Sunday, Nov 21st, via livestream. Please join us to honor the lives of those we’ve lost this year to transphobia and violence, and to draw strength from each other in community. Tune in to the Metropolitan Community Church of Washington, DC (MCCDC) page on the 21st to see the livestream and thank you for being part of our strong and vibrant community. Hosted by the DC Center and MCCDC.
Shenandoah Valley
Transgender Day of Remembrance Vigil
Tuesday, November 16 at 6:00pm
Union Ballroom
Join SOGIE for light refreshments, community, and a ceremony to remember transgender lives lost in 2021. This ceremony will offer space for grief, for honoring those who we have lost and for imagining a safer future for the transgender community together.
Transgender Day of Remembrance
Saturday, November 20 at 4:00pm
Bowman Park
101 Luray Ave, Front Royal, VA 22630
Front Royal! Join us in remembering & honoring transgender individuals whose lives have been lost to transphobia, violence, suicide and other causes this year. Hosted by AIDS Response Effort, Inc. (ARE) and Power Safe Place Resource Center.
Transgender Day of Remembrance Vigil
Saturday, November 20 at 7:30 pm
13 W Beverly St, Fifth Floor, Staunton, VA 24401
Join the Shenandoah LGBTQ Center in supporting our trans community as we remember and honor those lost in 2021. This event is free and open to everyone. Please be respectful. Keeping in mind that many of the lives lost this year were due to complications from COVID-19, masks and social distancing will be required at this event.
Transgender Day of Remembrance Candlelight Vigil
Saturday, November 20 at 7:00pm
124 W Piccadilly St, Winchester, VA 22601
Join us in remembering & honoring transgender individuals whose lives have been lost to transphobia, violence, suicide and other causes this year. Hosted by AIDS Response Effort, Inc. (ARE) and Power Safe Place Resource Center.
Southwest Virginia
Transgender Day of Remembrance with Raquel Willis
Thursday, November 18 at 6:00pm
Online event. Zoom link: https://virginiatech.zoom.us/j/89621782076
Hosted by LGBTQ Resource Center at Virginia Tech. As Gwendolyn Ann Smith, the founder of Transgender Day of Remembrance once said: “Transgender Day of Remembrance seeks to highlight the losses we face due to anti-transgender bigotry and violence. . . With so many seeking to erase transgender people — sometimes in the most brutal ways possible — it is vitally important that those we lose are remembered, and that we continue to fight for justice.”
Raquel Willis is a Black transgender activist, award-winning writer, and media strategist dedicated to elevating the dignity of marginalized people, particularly Black transgender people. She has held ground-breaking posts throughout her career including director of communications for the Ms. Foundation, executive editor of Out magazine, and national organizer for Transgender Law Center (TLC).
In 2018, she founded Black Trans Circles, a project of TLC, focused on developing the leadership of Black trans women in the South and Midwest by creating healing justice spaces to work through oppression-based trauma and incubating community organizing efforts to address anti-trans murder and violence.
During her time at Out, she published the Trans Obituaries Project to highlight the epidemic of violence against trans women of color and developed a community-sourced 13-point framework to end the epidemic. This project won a GLAAD Media Award.
Raquel is a thought leader on gender, race and intersectionality. She’s experienced in online publications, organizing marginalized communities for social change, non-profit media strategy and public speaking while using digital activism as a major tool of resistance and liberation. She will be releasing her debut memoir about her coming of identity and activism with St. Martin’s Press in 2022.
If you are an individual with a disability and desire an accommodation, welcome! Please contact Dr. Bing at [email protected] or 540-231-8584 at least five business days prior to the event.
Statewide or Regional
Transmen and Transmasculine Week of Affirmation & Resilience
November 15-20
Online – Register here: bit.ly/twar21
Hosted by Brothers Obtaining & Navigating Dynamic Solidarity (BONDS)
Join us for an uplifting week of events for Transmen and Transmasculine Folx, featuring panel discussions, social, and networking opportunities. This week of events aims to build community and provide connections to resources for Transmen and Transmasculine Folx attending the events. Such topics to be covered are Community Building, Sexual Health and Wellness, and Leadership Development. We also have a few events for to help allies better their support of Transmen and Transmasculine Folx. Transmen and Transmasculine Week of Affirmation and Resiliences is open to all transmen and transmasculine folks 18 years old and up, and centers the lived experiences of Black, Latinx, Native Indian, and AAPI voices. Please stay tuned for our full schedule of events. Learn more, register, and see the full schedule here: bondss.org/general-5
‘I Just Try to Make It Home Safe’: Violence and the Human Rights of Transgender People in the United States
Thursday, November 18 at 1:00pm EST
Online event – register for the Zoom link: https://hrworg.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_pr0uE6ACSXut-uCKnOnRNg
Human Rights Watch would like to invite you to a virtual roundtable event for the launch of a new report about violence against transgender people in the United States at 1:00 p.m. EST on Thursday, November 18. “‘I Just Try to Make It Home Safe’: Violence and the Human Rights of Transgender People in the United States,” based in part on interviews with survivors of violence, service providers, and advocates, examines the kinds of violence that transgender people experience and the socioeconomic marginalization and lack of services that put transgender people at particular risk of harm.
To coincide with the launch of the report and the upcoming Transgender Day of Remembrance, Human Rights Watch is hosting a roundtable with transgender advocates from Florida, Ohio, and Texas. The roundtable will discuss the needs of transgender people at risk of violence, and recommendations that local, state, and federal actors can adopt to meaningfully address harassment and violence directed at transgender people.
Who:
Ryan Thoreson, LGBT researcher, Human Rights Watch
Rajee Narinesingh, transgender activist from Florida
Gio Santiago, Northeast Organizer, Equality Ohio
Diamond Stylz, Executive Director of Black Trans Women Inc.
To attend the roundtable event, please register via the following link: https://hrworg.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_pr0uE6ACSXut-uCKnOnRNg. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.
For interviews, please contact:
In New York, Ryan Thoreson (English): +1-701-261-5251 (mobile/WhatsApp); or [email protected]. Twitter: @ryanthoreson