Transgender activist Monica Helms reads the names of the dead as part of a recent Transgender Day of Remembrance. Dozens gather each year on or around Nov. 20 to honor transgender people who have died or been killed. (File photo)
‘Uniting for the greater cause’ Day of Remembrance memorializes transgender dead, brings awareness to the living
After
honoring
the
Transgender
Day
of
Remembrance
for
10
years,
Tracee
McDaniel
says
it
never
becomes
easier.
“It’s
always
emotional
for
me,
but
it’s
always
good
to
see
we
have
support,”
said
McDaniel,
executive
director
of
the
Juxtaposed
Center
for
Transformation.
McDaniel
is
an
organizer
of
Atlanta’s
Transgender
Day
of
Remembrance
ceremony,
set
for
Nov.
20
at
the
State
Capitol.
Each
year
on
Nov.
20,
cities
across
the
globe
take
time
out
to
remember
transgender
people
who
were
killed
or
died
because
of
who
they
are.
Remembering
their
names
once
a
year
is
an
important
way
to
mark
the
discrimination
transgender
people
face
on
a
daily
basis,
McDaniel
said.
“We
just
need
to
keep
awareness
out
there
that
there
is
discrimination
against
transgender
people
and
until
we
get
some
kind
of
legal
protections,
employment
protections,
we
will
continue
to
raise
awareness,”
she
said.
This
year’s
theme
for
the
vigil
is
“Community
Uniting
for
a
Greater
Cause”
because,
McDaniel
said,
“we
are
all
one
community
regardless
how
we
identify.”
The
election
of
Barack
Obama
to
be
the
president
is
an
encouraging
sign
for
transgender
people
as
well
as
all
people,
McDaniel
said.
Obama
has
said
he
supports
a
fully
inclusive
Employment
Non-Discrimination
Act,
as
well
as
a
hate
crimes
bill
that
would
include
protections
for
transgender
people.
“This
is
a
very
hopeful
moment
in
time
for
everyone
and
we’re
inspired
and
encouraged
by
his
qualifications
to
be
inclusive
of
everyone,”
she
said.
As
in
years
past,
the
Atlanta
City
Council
will
issue
a
proclamation
honoring
Nov.
20
at
the
Transgender
Day
of
Remembrance.
The
proclamation
was
introduced
and
signed
by
Council
member
Anne
Fauver,
the
only
openly
gay
member
of
the
council.
Fauver
is
also
expected
to
speak
at
the
ceremony.
The
proclamation
reads,
in
part,
“It’s
an
annual
tradition
to
bring
together
transgender,
lesbian,
gay
and
bisexual
people
for
a
common
cause.
Transgender
Day
of
Remembrance
participants
fully
support
and
vote
for
federal
civil
rights
protection
legislation
that
will
help
reduce
social
and
cultural
discrimination…”
This
year,
the
Juxtaposed
Center
is
working
with
the
Feminist
Outlawz,
Atlanta
Gender
Explorations,
Transgender
Individuals
Living
Their
Truth
and
YouthPride
to
hold
the
candlelight
vigil
at
the
Capitol
and
the
traditional
reading
of
the
names
of
those
who
have
died.
As
of
Nov.
11,
the
Remembering
Our
Dead
Project
reported
a
total
of
20
reported
transgender
killings
for
2008
—
13
people
in
the
U.S.
and
seven
people
overseas.
Since
1970,
when
records
began
to
be
kept,
the
project
has
reported
284
deaths
in
the
U.S.
and
126
deaths
internationally.
Those
being
remembered
this
year
as
part
of
the
Transgender
Day
of
Remembrance
include
Lawrence
King
of
Oxnard,
Calif.,
a
15-year-old
boy
who
liked
to
wear
women’s
clothes,
who
was
shot
in
the
head
by
a
fellow
classmate;
Simmie
Williams
Jr.,
17,
who
was
shot
to
death
in
Fort
Lauderdale,
Fla.,
and
found
wearing
women’s
clothes;
and
Angie
Zapata,
18,
of
Greeley,
Colo.,
who
was
brutally
murdered
by
a
31-year-old
man
who
became
enraged
when
he
learned
she
was
a
biological
male.
“The
only
change
will
come
is
when
we
receive
hate
crimes
protections
and
basic
civil
rights
that
are
not
afforded
to
us,”
McDaniel
said.
“Right
now,
we
are
not
seen
as
part
of
the
human
race.
But
we
are
all
in
this
together.
There’s
a
place
for
all
of
us.”
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