Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR) is an annual event intended to memorialize and uplift those who have lost their lives as a result of transphobic violence.
2020 has been the deadliest year on record for the transgender community, with an ongoing epidemic of violence against trans women of color continuing to haunt our communities. Please join Equality North Carolina and our partners in not only mourning the loss of these individuals but also celebrating the resiliency of transgender people around the world.
Please see a list below of services and vigils taking place across our state in observance of TDOR, both virtual and in person. Don't see an event listed and want us to include it? Email nate@equalitync.org.
Virtual, Nov. 18 @ 3:00PM -- Divinity Pride, in conjunction with the Duke University Center for Sexuality and Gender Diversity, will host a Transgender Day of Remembrance Service to raise awareness of hate crimes against transgender people, publicly mourn and honor the lives of transgender people who might otherwise be forgotten, and to express love and respect for them in the face of national indifference and hatred.
In-Person, 6:00PM -- Speakers include Alexandria Webb, Candis Cox and Rev. Marilyn Bowens of Imani MCC. Masks are required and all other PPE are encouraged. Limited seating will be provided: Please bring a seat if you are able to.
In-Person & Virtual, 1:00PM-7:00PM -- From 1:00PM - 7:30PM, staff and volunteers will be stationed at Nash Square with a memorial set up and a table with flowers and candles to place on and around the memorial. Due to the pandemic and other safety concerns in Raleigh, we want to keep the crowds to a minimum and allow time throughout the day for folks to visit and grieve. Please bring letters, small items or anything you'd like to leave at the memorial to then be placed in a keepsake box that will be on display at our new location. For those that cannot or do not feel comfortable visiting in person, we will be live-streaming the memorial and a short vigil at 8:00PM on Friday. If you would like to share stories or know someone you would like us to pay tribute to, please email info@lgbtcenterofraleigh.com.
In Person, 11:00AM -- 7:00PM -- The TDOR Memorial will be open on Friday, 20 NOVEMBER 2020 in our outdoor reflection space. The memorial features the names and stories of the 33 trans and gender non-conforming folx who have been murdered in the US in 2020. There is also information on the lives of others around the world that have been killed this year. Each station is spaced at least 12' apart to allow for safe social distancing while visiting the memorial.
Virtual, 6:00PM -- The local nonbinary and transgender community observance includes reading of names, peer support and counseling resources and online vigil. Zoom meeting code and password will be made available on social media and through email by request (info@tranzmission.org, subject line "TDoR 2020 RSVP") on the day of the event.
Virtual, 6:00PM -- Gwendolyn Ann Smith, TDOR founder, said "TDOR seeks to highlight the losses we face due to anti-transgender bigotry and violence. I am no stranger to the need to fight for our rights, and the right to simply exist is first and foremost. 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." The vigil will be held via WebEx.
Virtual, 6:00PM -- On November 20, 2020, join together as a community-wide family as we mark this year's Trans Day of Remembrance. Mark your calendars now for this virtual event.
In-Person, 6:00PM -- Join community members to mourn the senseless loss of the lives taken too soon.
Virtual, All Day -- Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR) was started in 1999 to honor the memory of Rita Hester, a transgender woman who was killed in 1998 and subsequent years, we have used this day to honor other Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming individuals who have lost their lives to violence.
