It’s The 14th International Transgender Day of Remembrance

Maybe it’s appropriate that it’s wet and gray today…it’s the 14th International Transgender Day of Remembrance and the somberness of the weather reflects the occasion.

And, as I write this, the sun is peeking out which offers hope for the future.

Seattle is taking part in this special day to commemorate the lives of transgendered men and women with a vigil and a march on Capitol Hill. It will start at Queer Youth Space, 911 Pike Street (2nd floor) at 5pm with a Healing Circle and Intimate Commemoration followed by a march up Pike to 11th then over to Cal Anderson Park for a vigil and reading of names of those lost to violence against the trans community. Here’s everything you need to know from the Q Center at the University of Washington’s website:

In Collaboration with Seattle Univesity & Queer Youth Space: TDOR 2012
Trans* Day of Remembrance (TDOR) is a time set aside each year to memorialize those killed due to transphobia. TDOR is held in November to honor Rita Hester, whose murder in 1998 kicked off the “Remembering Our Dead” web project and a San Francisco candlelight vigil in 1999. Rita Hester’s murder — like most trans* murder cases — has yet to be solved. Although not every person represented during the Day of Remembrance self-identified as transgender/trans*, each was a victim of violence based on bias against transgender and gender non-conforming people.

This candlelight vigil will be a space to show our love and respect for those murdered due to hatred and transphobia while celebrating the lives led by trans* folks— this will be a space for our Seattle transgender/trans* and allied communities to mourn & heal collectively.

Participants are more than welcome and encouraged to bring a poem, song, prayer, or loving words.

NOV 20th 5m-8pm

Meet at Queer Youth Space:
911 E Pike, 202
Seattle, Washington 98122
[QYS is a youth-led and youth-run nonprofit organization that provides the space, tools, and resources queer young people need to be effective leaders, organizers, and advocates.]

• Food will be served
• Creating an altar where we can remember people who we’ve lost to institutional violence as well (lack of access to healthcare, mental health svc, housing, mistreatment in services/ schools/ jobs, etc)
• Healing Circle– Sound Healing with Zenyu Director Christine Guiao
• Lighting candles to close and walking/rolling/driving over to Cal Anderson (for community visibility)
• Folks are welcome to bring item donations or monetary donations for QYS

Cal Anderson Park
1635 11th Avenue Seattle, Washington 98119

• The shelter house is open for folks to stay warm, warm beverages and hand warmers will be provided
• Resource table will be available– to table, sign up
• Candle light vigil
• Reading of names– to volunteer, sign up
• After the reading of the names, we will let flowers go in the Cal Anderson fountain