Today is Transgender Day of Remembrance where we honor the memory of the transgender people whose lives we have lost to acts of anti-transgender violence.

Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR) was started in 1999 by transgender advocate Gwendolyn Ann Smith as a vigil to honor the memory of Rita Hester, a transgender woman who was killed in 1998. The vigil commemorated all the transgender people lost to violence since Rita Hester's death, and began an important tradition in raising public awareness of hate crimes committed against transgender people. 

According to an annual transgender violence report published by the Human Rights Campaign, at least 22 trans and gender-nonconforming people have been fatally shot or killed by other violent means. Most of those killed in 2019 were young, black women. We do not know the actual number of deaths because too often these stories go unreported – or misreported. 

On Transgender Day of Remembrance, we name, honor, remember and mourn the transgender people whose lives our country has lost to anti-transgender violence this year: 

Brianna “BB” Hill | Itali Marlowe | Ja’Leyah-Jamar | Bee Love Slater | Bailey Reeves | Tracy Single| Bubba Walker | Pebbles La Dime Doe | Kiki Fantroy | Denali Berries Stuckey | Brooklyn Lindsey | Zoe Spears | Chanel Scurlock | Chynal Lindsey | Paris Cameron| Michelle “Tamika” Washington | Muhlaysia Booker | Claire Legato| Ashanti Carmon| Jazzaline Ware | Dana Martin | Layleen Polanco | Johana “Joa” Medina Leon

Sources: GLAAD, HRC, NBC news, List of Transgender people killed around the world , Remembering Our Dead

If you've experienced or witnessed anti-LGBTQ+ violence, or are concerned about someone who has, you can call the Anti-Violence Project hotline 24/7 at 212-714-1141. All calls are confidential. You can also report violence anonymously or ask for a counselor to reach out to you online.

Friday, November 8 | 12:00pm - 1:00pm 

Mapping the Historic Lumbee Community in Baltimore

Wednesday, November 13 | 3:00pm - 4:30pm

Bagels & Banter Pop-Up #2: Indigenous Erasure and "National American History and Founders Month"

Wednesday, November 13 | 5:30pm - 7:30pm

Film Screening: The Thick Dark Fog

Monday, November 18 | 12:00pm - 1:00pm

Performing Relationships with Archived Objects

Thursday, December 5 | 4:00pm - 5:30pm

How to Be A Better Ally: Local Indigenous Communities

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The International Pronoun Day campaign encourages everyone of any gender to share their pronouns on social media as a way to celebrate and support the day.  

Pronouns are terms we use to describe ourselves in the third person in place of our name. These can include:

•          he/him/his

•          she/her/hers

•          they/them/theirs

•          gender-neutral pronouns, such as ze/hir/hirs

Everyone has the right to be addressed by the name and pronouns that correspond to their gender identity. For many - though not all - people who are trans, a shift in pronouns is an affirming part of the transition process and can have positive health outcomes. It can help a trans person and the people in their lives start to see them as their affirmed gender. Being referred to by the wrong pronouns, otherwise known as misgendering, particularly affects trans & gender nonconforming people and can be devastating. Using the right pronouns is a critical step in acknowledging the humanity of trans and gender nonconforming individuals.

Sadly, anti-trans violence is on the rise and disproportionately affects trans women and femmes of color. It is our shared responsibility to make sure that the most vulnerable members of our communities are respected, supported and feel safe. Sharing your pronouns, regardless of your gender, normalizes the practice so it’s not just on transgender and non-binary people to do it. In solidarity, you can also add your pronouns to your email signature and social media profiles year-round. Sharing pronouns might seem like such a small thing to do if your pronouns align with the gender identity you were assigned at birth, but it can be life-changing to someone who constantly has to deal with being misgendered. 

Respecting people’s pronouns is an important part of making UMBC a safer, more inclusive and supportive community. International Pronouns Day seeks to make respecting, sharing, and educating about personal pronouns commonplace. It’s really just about recognizing the dignity of another human being.

For more information or to pick up your own pronoun buttons come visit us at The Mosaic or join us later today for Bagels and Banter Pop-Up #1.

For more information on Mosaic LGBTQA+ centered events, please email Heidy George, Program Associate for Student Diversity and Inclusion at hmg@umbc.edu, or mosaic@umbc.edu.