Today is the 13th Annual International Transgender Day of Remembrance, which hopes to raise awareness around the many who are killed in anti-transgender violence and hate crimes. Events marking TDOR are happening around the world today.
Autumn Sandeen at Pam's House Blend:
"221 people [have been] documented to be killed by antitransgender violence since November 20th of 2010. This year two cabinet secretaries sent out statements. This year the National Center for Transgender Equality and Gwen Smith—who founded TDOR—met at the White House to discuss the epidemic of antitransgender violence.
"TDOR grows in public significance each year. And each year, the number of recorded deaths grow. Like many in trans community, I spend much of November 20th in tears. When I’m not in tears, I’m on the verge of tears. There is no joy in the remembrance today of 221 deaths since last November."
A series of vigils and protests around the country have preceded TDOR. In Detroit on Friday: Friends, family and allies remembered 19-year-old Shelley Hilliard, whose charred torso was discovered on October 23.
In Washington DC on Thursday: Dozens of activists rallied to call attention to series of anti-trans attacks in our nation's capital. Since July, at least 20 trans women have been violently attacked, including the tragic killing of 19-year-old Lashai McLean who was gunned down on the street. Police have made no arrests
In addition to being at the greatest risk of violence, the murders of Black trans women are often unsolved. In recent years on R20, we've seen plenty of the cases, such as the horrific daylight stabbing of Nana Boo Mack, Lateisha Green case, a transgender shooting in Milawukee, the fatal shooting in New Orleans, and several recent shootings in Memphis.
Black transgender women face "extreme discrimination and poverty", and are more than likely to suffer from violence, physical or sexual abuse, police brutality, HIV/AIDS and bullying, according to a first of its kind survey conducted by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, the National Center for Transgender Equality and the National Black Justice Coalition.
There have been 755 reported murders of transgender people in 51 countries since January 2008, according to the Transgender Murder Project. The reported numbers are likely only a fraction of those who have been killed.