Transgender people face extraordinary levels of physical and sexual violence, whether on the streets, at school or work, at home, or at the hands of government officials. More than one in four trans people has faced a bias-driven assault, and rates are higher for trans women and trans people of color. NCTE is working with anti-violence groups, women’s rights groups, racial justice groups, and federal and state law enforcement agencies to combat anti-trans violence. This effort cannot be limited to just Transgender Day of Remembrance. Public education, policy change and community efforts are needed to address the complex causes of anti-trans violence and ensure victims can receive support.
We crafted TransRemembrance.org as a digital memorial for both grieving and celebrating those we’ve lost. Countless precious trans lives have been extinguished, and to grieve is an arduous journey. However, in our period of grief, we persist. We pay tribute to and exalt the existences of those who have departed, and our brilliance remains unaltered.
On Wednesday, NCTE Policy Director Olivia Hunt spoke at the House Oversight Committee’s hearing on anti-LGBTQ violence. Olivia described how anti-trans rhetoric and policies coming out of statehouses across the nation fuel the increasing wave of anti-trans violence, and emphasized that trans people, and especially trans youth, deserve to be able to live their lives in safety and security. We were honored to speak alongside survivors of the violent attacks at Club Q, as well as the new President of HRC Kelley Robinson, Williams Institute scholar Ilan Meyer, and Brandon Wolf, Press Secretary of Equality Florida and survivor of the 2016 attack on Orlando’s Pulse nightclub.
On Trans Day of Remembrance, we honor those taken from our communities, we celebrate their lives, and we root ourselves in our collective resilience. Our community is incredibly strong. In the face of systemic violence, trans people continue to survive and thrive. We support and celebrate each other while working hard to achieve our dreams.
Our new Remembrance Report centers the humanity and individuality of trans people whose lives were stolen by violence. Whenever possible, we’ve included snapshots of their lives, often shared by their loved ones.