Trans Awareness Week and Trans Day of Remembrance

Every year, during the week leading up to the Trans Day of Remembrance, people come together to particpate in Trans Awareness Week. This week is dedicated to raising the visibility of transgender people, and to talk about issues that members of the community often face. From homelessness, to poverty, discrimination in employment, housing, public accommodation, and even to violence, trans and gender nonconforming people are forced to live lives where systems of injustice overlap. The week is set aside from November 13 to November 19.

The day after, on November 20, we encourage everyone to take a moment to take part in Trans Day of Remembrance, and to think about the realities that exist for trans and gender nonconforming people across the Commonwealth, nation, and in our world. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the first Trans Day of Remembrance, where we remember people who have been murdered for embracing their full selves. As of this writing, there have been at least 23 trans or gender nonconforming individuals lost to hate this year in the United States. The majority of those lost were trans women of color. 

While we have seen strides made for equality, with a record number of cities passing Fairness ordinances in Kentucky (including Bellevue, Versailles, Georgetown, and Dayton in our chapter areas) to protect trans and other members of the lgbtq+ community from discrimination in housing, employment, and public accommodation, we have a long way to go. We saw those supporting an unpopular governor attempt to salvage his campaign by attacking trans high school students; we have seen a federal administration seek to roll back protections for lgbtq individuals and families; and we continue to see that trans and gender non-binary people – especially Black and indigenous transwomen of color – are more likely to be victims of violence than any other demographic. We see trans and gender nonconforming people in our community shut out of resources, or put into systems where they are forced to deny who they are or are put into places that put them in harm's way. So as we continue the work to move towards equality and into equity, remember those we have lost over the years.

We invite you to say the names of those we lost on November 20, share events and resources, and talk to other members in your chapter how you can show up in solidarity and support for trans and gender non-conforming people in your community – and to create spaces where they feel safe, welcomed, and whole.