Posts Tagged ‘Transgender Day of Remembrance’

Honor the Transgender Day of Remembrance

1 Comment | Share On Facebook| Honor the Transgender Day of Remembrance Share/Save/Bookmark Nov 09, 2012

Every year at the end of November, communities across the globe come together to commemorate the International Transgender Day of Remembrance—a day dedicated to honoring trans* people who have lost their lives to acts of violence over the past year. This year, Standing on the Side of Love and the Church of the Larger Fellowship will host an online vigil that can be attended by anyone with a computer and internet access. Together, we will mourn those are no longer with us, while also offering hope, beauty, and a celebration of the living.

Please join me for the online Transgender Day of Remembrance vigil on Monday, November 19 at 8:00pm ET. Click here to RSVP and spread the word.

The Transgender Day of Remembrance is a day of mixed feelings for me: deep grief at the loss of so many beautiful trans* people and the sadness of knowing that the vast majority of those injured and killed for being themselves are poor trans* women of color. It is such a stark reminder of the ways that race, class, transphobia, and other oppressions multiply the danger exponentially. I am glad we have the Day of Remembrance to honor these beautiful lives that ended too soon.

At the same time, each Day of Remembrance I feel sad that the day set aside as a “transgender holiday” is a day of counting and naming our dead. I long for a day of Transgender Pride—a celebration of the lives of trans* people and their lives. At this year’s vigil, we will try to do both: to solemnly honor our dead while also recognizing the gifts that trans* people bring to our communities and the world. We hope you will join us.

No matter who you are or where you live, you can honor the Transgender Day of Remembrance by joining our online vigil. Click here to RSVP and spread the word.

In faith,

Rev. Sean Parker Dennison
Unitarian Universalist Congregation in McHenry, IL

PS: Already planning a Day of Remembrance vigil in your community? You can find our TDOR resource page here.

* – “Trans*” is an all-inclusive, umbrella term that refers to all of the non-normative identities within the gender identity spectrum. Check out this article to learn more.

The message above went out on Friday, November 9, 2012 to Standing on the Side of Love supporters. You can sign-up for these emails here.

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Honor the 2012 Transgender Day of Remembrance

4 Comments | Share On Facebook| Honor the 2012 Transgender Day of Remembrance Share/Save/Bookmark Oct 05, 2012
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This post was written by Allison Woolbert.

Annually on November 20, supporters of the transgender community come together to hold vigils for those who were murdered in the previous year due to anti-transgender hatred and prejudice. The day has become known as the Transgender Day of Remembrance.

The event is held in November to honor Rita Hester, whose murder on November 28, 1998 kicked off the Remembering Our Dead project and began the tradition of holding candlelight vigils. Like most anti-transgender murder cases, Rita’s murder has yet to be solved.

As we approach this year’s Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR), there is much to be thankful for today. Transgender people are better protected now than in the past. For example some school systems are becoming more welcoming to transgender students. Transgender people are as a whole are gaining far greater visibility.

At the same time, there is still much to be done before we become a truly welcoming society. Our presence in the workplace is often still viewed with skepticism or outright disgust. Transgender students can find themselves bullied in real life and on the Internet. Increased visibility goes hand-in-hand with increased resistance from those that fear us.

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(Credit: glaad.org)

Once such tragic story is that of Victoria Carmen White. On September 12, 2010, Victoria was shot three times by Alrashim Chambers or Marquise Foster. There were many problems when it came to prosecuting Chambers for the shooting. Chambers pointed to Foster as the shooter, but Foster had already cut a deal with prosecutors to testify against Chambers. In the end, after much finger pointing, Chambers was acquitted on all charges, which included murder, bias intimidation, and two weapons charges.

The file on Victoria Carmen White’s murder is officially closed–the individuals who were involved in her death were able to either plea out in exchange for testimony or confuse the jury, and were absolved of any wrongdoing.

We must remember that despite the advances, there are still people who die every year simply because of their gender identity.

Transform your faith into action by holding a Transgender Day of Remembrance vigil in your community and increase awareness of the senseless murders that continue to happen both here and abroad.

There are many ways to have a vigil. Light a candle for each person and read their names aloud—it may be the only time they are recognized as murder victims. Put their names on a star or on a placard and lay down in a public die-in for 5 minutes to create awareness about the murders. Please join with local LGBT organizations or consider hosting the TDOR in your congregation.

Click here to learn more about planning a Transgender Day of Remembrance vigil. You can also email Allison Woolbert at allison.woolbert@gmail.com for more information.

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Walmart Confirms Expansion of Non-Discrimination Policy, UUA Pushes for Gender Identity Addition

1 Comment | Share On Facebook| Walmart Confirms Expansion of Non-Discrimination Policy, UUA Pushes for Gender Identity Addition Share/Save/Bookmark Nov 18, 2011
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Tim Brennan

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Glenn C. Farley

Post by Tim Brennan, treasurer of the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA), and Glenn C. Farley, co-chair of the UUA Committee on Socially Responsible Investing.

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In each of the past five years, the Unitarian Universalist Association has filed a shareholder resolution asking Walmart to add Gender Identity or Expression to its non-discrimination policy.  Last week we were notified by Walmart’s Office of Diversity that they were adopting this policy and were disseminating it throughout their network of stores and distribution centers.  This is a big step towards justice for Walmart employees and perhaps even more importantly, an example to other companies. Walmart is currently the largest company in the Fortune 500 and the largest employer in the nation and, for that matter, the world.  So how Walmart operates can profoundly affect corporate policies and practices worldwide, for better or for worse.

Federal law does not prohibit discrimination based on gender identity or expression, and state laws vary widely.  Therefore, protections by employers are extremely important.  While more companies each year add gender identity or expression as a protected class, most companies are still lagging.  According to the Human Rights Campaign, in 2010 69% of the Fortune 100 and 46% of the Fortune 500 had non-discrimination policies that include gender identity or expression. This is up from 11% and 5% respectively in 2003.  Fully 39% of the Fortune 500 offer transgender-inclusive health insurance benefits, up from 1% in 2004.  We hope that the Walmart example will spur additional companies to become more inclusive.

Other companies have changed as well.  The UUA’s resolutions asking for non-discrimination polices on gender identity or expression resulted in policy change at Lowes, Home Depot, Travelers Insurance, and Dr Pepper Snapple Group.  Verizon, ExxonMobil and ConocoPhillips have so far refused, but our campaign continues.

This is one small, but significant step for Walmart.  Yet the company still has a long way to go to improve its treatment of employees.  Just recently it was announced that the company’s health plan would become more expensive and less widely available.  Advocates both within and outside of the company must continue to push for improvement.

The UUA’s shareholder advocacy program is just one expression of the Standing on the Side of Love campaign – our vision is of a world in which no one is dehumanized through acts of exclusion, oppression, or violence because of their identities.

We know that lasting change only happens in coalition and collaboration. In our broad shareholder advocacy work towards inclusion, anti-oppression and non-violence, we will continue to do our part to bend the arc of the moral universe towards justice.

On November 20, we encourage you to stand on the side of love as we observe the International Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR), honoring and remembering those murdered through hate and ignorance.

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A Celebration of Life

No Comments | Share On Facebook| A Celebration of Life Share/Save/Bookmark Nov 11, 2011

The message below went out to Standing on the Side of Love supporters on Friday, November 11, 2011. You can sign-up for these emails here.

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The 13th Annual Transgender Day of Remembrance is fast approaching. Many of us are seeking a space where we can gather, grieve, honor, and recommit to a better world, where gender non-conforming people are free from violence, harassment, and discrimination.

On behalf of the Church of the Larger Fellowship and the Standing on the Side of Love Campaign, I invite you to a special service commemorating the Transgender Day of Remembrance—a service that can be attended by anyone with a computer and internet access.

The Transgender Day of Remembrance was set aside to memorialize those who were killed due to anti-transgender hatred or prejudice, but we really want this to celebrate life as well as honor the dead, and the incredible strength and beauty of the diverse trans community.  We want to provide a prayerful space where together we may mourn those are no longer with us, while also offering hope and beauty and celebration of the living.

The service will be hosted at http://www.livestream.com/QuestforMeaning at 9 PM Eastern Time on Sunday, November 20.  All you need to do to join is visit that link!

It’s an honor for the Church of the Larger Fellowship, whose mission is to provide a ministry to isolated religious liberals, to work with our transgender friends and allies to host this service just as we launch our new online sanctuary.
Love,

Rev. Meg Riley
Senior Minister
Church of the Larger Fellowship

PS:  Click here if you are looking for a fantastic collection of resources, ranging from prayers and “Trans 101” guides to “10 Ways to be More Welcoming to Understanding of Trans People.”

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Remembering the Lives We’ve Lost

No Comments | Share On Facebook| Remembering the Lives We’ve Lost Share/Save/Bookmark Oct 13, 2011

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This is the time of year when many of us begin thinking about the Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR), a day in which groups across the world hold vigils to remember those that have been brutally murdered simply because of their gender identity.

This year, we honor yet more victims of the horrific violence that has gone largely unnoticed.  On September 10th, Gaurav Gopalan was murdered in Washington D.C. Gaurav was 35.  In August, Camila Guzman was murdered in New York at the young age of 25 and Marcal Caermo Tye was shot and dragged to death in Forrest City, Arkansas.  These are just a few of the individuals whose lives were silenced this year by gender bias and gender hatred.

Last year, Unitarian Universalist Association President Rev. Peter Morales gave the following sobering statement:

“Anti-transgender violence is a stunning epidemic, embodying the darkest aspects of human nature. Perpetrators of such violence have succumbed to the moral plagues of fear, hatred, and cruelty, turning away from love and compassion. Sadly, the victims of their murderous rage are too often forgotten by society at large. They leave behind friends, family, and an entire community who also feel targeted.”

“Unitarian Universalists have long dreamed of a society in which our most valued qualities are those of character. Now we must do more than dream.

As long as anyone is harassed or ridiculed, we must demand an end to the bullying. As long as anyone is judged because of their gender identification or presentation, we must insist on a higher moral standard. And if, God forbid, anyone is ever again physically harmed or murdered because of his or her gender identity or expression, we must rise up and seek justice.

We must put our faith into action, not just on this day of remembrance, but every day.

In memory of those who have been murdered, to all who feel their loss, and to all who still struggle with oppression, you are not alone. We are with you, standing on the side of love.”

I’m reaching out to each congregation again this year to ask that you consider holding a Transgender Day of Remembrance Vigil.  A vigil in your congregation and in your community can transform your faith into action and bring awareness to the senseless murders that continue to happen in our country as well as abroad.

There are many ways to have a vigil.  Light a candle for each person and read their names aloud—it may be the only time they are recognized as murder victims.  Put their names on a star or on a placard and lay down in a public die-in for 5 minutes to create awareness about the murders.  Please join with local LGBT organizations or consider hosting the TDOR in your congregation.

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Allison Woolbert

This year’s names are once again being compiled at www.transgenderdor.org.  There are also resources available through Standing on the Side of Love.  Please feel free to contact Allison Woolbert at allison.woolbert@gmail.com if you desire help, information, speakers, or ideas for developing your TDOR Vigil.

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