14th Annual Transgender Day of Remembrance

Since January 1, 2012, at least 63 transgender individuals have been hatefully murdered. Today we remember them on the 14th annual Transgender Day of Remembrance, a day of commemoration started by Gwendolyn Ann Smith. Today she wrote in the Huffington Post:

“We’ve seen an increase in legislation that helps prosecute those who participate in anti-transgender violence, including the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act. We’ve seen a much greater awareness of the issue of anti-transgender violence. We’ve seen successes in other battles for transgender rights.

Yet we still see anti-transgender violence. Every year, we still find ourselves with a list of people who have been violently murdered for simply being themselves.

The Transgender Day of Remembrance is not an event for fundraisers and beer busts. It’s not an event we “celebrate.” It is not a quick and easy one-day way for organizations to get credit for their support of the transgender community. It’s not something to trot out on the 20th of November and forget about. We should be working every day for all of us, living and dead.”

Transgender individuals face some of the most vicious forms of street harassment, including murder. Earlier this year, I attended a vigil for Deoni Jones in the Washington, DC area, along with several other anti-street harassment activists. Deoni was a young woman who was murdered at a well-lit bus stop at 8 p.m. earlier this year. It was heartbreaking to hear from her loved ones and to hear from so many people who were angry, discouraged, and tired of hearing about the murder of their friends.

In response to the alarming trend of murder, recently the DC government launched a “Gender Identity Respect” campaign (on image is included on the right). It’s sad that this kind of campaign is even necessary — everyone should be afforded respect, dignity, and the right to live — but I am glad to see the DC government address the issue head on.

Each of us must do our part every day to speak out against discrimination and hate. And today, we remember those who’ve been unjustly taken from this earth this year:

Popinha
Unidentified person
Carla White
Crain Conaway
Brilli
Guilherme Augusto de Souza
Maicon Roux
Mateo Vicente
Sabrina
Peter “Hair” Tamiarana
Paola Cristiano
Deoni Jones
Tiago da Silva Garcia
Paulo Roberto Campos
Montserrat Pineda
Carla
Junior Richardo de Jesus
Agnes Torres Sulca
Chiquinha
Soraya
Rene “Rosita” Hildalgo
David William de Oliveira Cândido
Coko Williams
Tyrell Jackson
Menakshiammal
Paige Clay
Rebekah
Leandro Eduardo Campos Ferreira
Brandy Martell
Unidentified person
Anil Aayiramthengu
Jaime Antonio Lopez
Lorena Escalera
Chrissie Azzopardi
Thapelo Makutle
William Geovanni Aguilar Pérez
Alison
Unidentified person
Jeimy Tamara Perez
Unidentified person
Camila de Mink
Tracey Johnson
Seçil Anne
Sapphire
Barbarita
Tania
Silva
Tiffany Gooden
Sirena Paola
Unidentified person
Unidentified person
Laryssa Silveira
Tiago da Silva Oliveira
Robson Franco Pereira
Dewayne “Deja” Jones
Unidentified person
Kendall Hampton
Kyra Cordova
Victoria
Unidentified person
January Marie Lapuz
Madonna
Cassandra