Transgender Day of Remembrance

By Kylar W. Broadus, Senior Public Policy Counsel, Trans Civil Rights Project, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force

For me, this year has been filled with ups and downs, celebrations and grief. We’ve made encouraging progress on policies that benefit transgender people, from inclusion in the Violence Against Women Act to the recent passage in the US Senate of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. Yet, even with these advances, I still feel danger lurking when I walk down the street.

As a transgender man of color, I know all too well the feeling of being a target for violence. Today, for Transgender Day of Remembrance, we commemorate those that we’ve lost to violence. This violence is far too common. Data from Injustice at Every Turn shows that 1 in 4 trans people have suffered and survived violence.

Unfortunately, not everyone survives. But today as I reflect on the people who are no longer with us, I vow to make this world a better place.

A world where no one lives in fear because of who they are.

I truly believe that we must work together as a community to make this change a reality. The first step is to educate yourself and those around you. We also need to create more welcoming communities for trans people.

Take this day as an opportunity to connect with local LGBT groups in your area. Whether it’s attending a local vigil, volunteering at a community center, or attending the Creating Change conference, the more we connect as a community the better off we’ll be.