Trans Day of Remembrance

“It is revolutionary for any trans person to choose to be seen in a world that tells us we should not exist.” - Laverne Cox

Happy Transgender Awareness Week! It’s a week when trans, non-binary and Two Spirit people and their allies take action to honour those who have been affected by discrimination and violence, and advance the rights of these communities.Transphobic bullying and hate crimes are on the rise in Canada. 74% of trans students in Canada face verbal harassment and 37% have faced physical harassment.

November 20 is Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR): an annual observance that honours the memory of the trans people whose lives were lost in acts of anti-trans violence. TDOR was started in 1999 by trans advocate Gwendolyn Ann Smith as a vigil to honour the memory of Rita Hester, a trans woman who was killed in 1998.

What can you and your branch do to support Transgender Awareness Week?

1) Attend or spread the word about the TDOR event happening in your community. Live links so far: Kingston, Toronto, Halifax, Ottawa, London

2) E-blast the Trans Pulse Canada Survey on your branch or personal IG story to help collect important data on the state of trans health in Canada.

3) Check out this #BeyondtheBinary campaign from GLAAD!

4) Tell your Indigo girls about awesome young, trans, non-binary and Two-Spirit women..

Gwen Benaway is an award-winning Anishinaabe and Métis trans poet and activist. Read her latest for Flare Magazine speaking about standing up to Toronto Public Library for trans rights last month.

Vivek Shraya is a trans artist, speaker, and professor at the University of Calgary. Learn about her graphic novel where she turned her hate mail into art!