Atlanta honors Transgender Day of Remembrance

Each year on Nov. 20, the transgender community, allies and loved ones come together to remember those who were killed because of anti-trans hatred and bigotry.

A Transgender Day of Remembrance memorial display at Kennesaw State University. (Photo by Jessica Fischer)
A Transgender Day of Remembrance memorial display at Kennesaw State University. (Photo by Jessica Fisher)

Recognized as the Transgender Day of Remembrance, the tradition began with a “Remembering Our Dead” website project in 1998 and then a candlelight vigil in San Francisco in 1999 to honor Rita Hester. Hester, an African American trans woman, was killed in Massachusetts on Nov. 28, 1998.

In Atlanta, two events scheduled to honor TDOR on Thursday include one hosted by Emory University Office of LGBT Life and the other sponsored by Atlanta’s Human Rights Campaign chapter and Lambda Legal. A new event this year for Atlanta is also planned for Nov. 21, named the Trans Day of Resilience.

Let us know if there are other TDOR events and we’ll be sure to include.

Commemoration of Transgender Day of Remembrance
Thursday, Nov. 20
7-8 p.m.
Sponsor: Emory University Office of LGBT Life
The event will include education, awareness, and community building while memorializing victims of transphobic violence. Speakers from Emory’s LGBT community will also speak about their experiences. The focus of the hour will be the reading the names of those killed in 2014.
The Little Chapel, Church School Building
1660 North Decatur Road, Atlanta, GA 30307

Transgender Day of Remembrance “It’s Time…”
Thursday, Nov. 20
7-10 p.m.
Sponsors: Human Rights Campaign, Lambda Legal
Phillip Rush Center Annex
1530 Dekalb Ave, Atlanta GA 30307
Keynote Speaker: Pastor Maressa Pendermon of Unity Fellowship Church Movement

Contact: Tracee McDaniel
678-591-3481
Email- juxtaposedcenter@bellsouth.net

Trans Day of Resilience
Friday, Nov. 21
6-10 p.m.
Sponsor: Lambda Legal
The Philip Rush Center
1530 DeKalb Ave. Atlanta 30316
This event will include a happy/healthy hour with drinks and hors d’ouevres; an art exhibit; performances; and a film screening of “Black is Blue” with a panel discussion and Q&A with the film’s lead actor, Kingston Faraday.