“Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR) was started in 1999 by transgender advocate Gwendolyn Ann Smith as a vigil to honor the memory of Rita Hester, a transgender woman who was killed in 1998. The vigil commemorated all the transgender people lost to violence since Rita Hester’s death, and began an important tradition that has become the annual Transgender Day of Remembrance.”

We also want to take this opportunity to recognize that people who have identities beyond the binary have been around since the beginning of time and we very much seen as respected and even viewed as spiritual leaders among indigenous peoples across the world. As colonizers, we have not only made trans, non-binary, two spirit and any other non-cis individuals criminals and ‘wrong’ for being who they are, but we have erased their history. We has a duty to not only provide space for the trans community, but work to destroy our biases and save their lives.

There is a reason that every year we are happy to partner with Rowan University and their Prism club – they are constantly raising money to help support causes such as Trans Lifeline. If you would like to donate time, resources or donate money OR if you need to find resources for your, please check out Trans Lifeline or GLAAD for more information.