Today is Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR). Each year on November 20, Transgender Day of Remembrance offers us a chance to come together as a community to honor the lives of transgender people lost to violence. TDOR was founded in 1999 by trans advocate Gwendolyn Ann Smith in memory of Rita Hester, a Black transgender woman who was tragically taken from us in 1998. Rita’s death exposed the painful reality of violence faced by so many transgender people, especially trans women of color, and it became a call to remember, honor, and demand change.
Since then, TDOR has grown into a deeply meaningful day, not just for reflection but also for community and solidarity. It’s a time when we remember each name and story, the lives and dreams behind the statistics, and renew our commitment to building a safer, more just world for our community. Today, we invite you to join us in acknowledging the transgender lives lost in 2024. Let us hold space for them*, remember them, and continue the work for a future free of hate and violence.
Rest in power:
- Kassim Omar
- Redd (Barbie)
- Vanity Williams
- Tai’Vion Lathan
- Dylan Gurley
- Monique Brooks
- Kenji Spurgeon
- Shannon Boswell
- Pauly Likens
- Liara Tsai
- Jazlynn Johnson
- Yella Clark Jr.
- Michelle Henry
- Brandon “”Tayy Dior”” Thomas
- Reyna Hernandez
- Kita Bee
- Starr Brown
- Sasha Williams
- Andrea Doria Dos Passos
- River Nevaeh Goddard
- Tee “”Lagend Billions”” Arnold
- África Parrilla García
- Meraxes Medina
- Alex Taylor Franco
- Diamond Brigman
- Righteous TK “Chevy” Hill
- Kitty Monroe
- Honee Daniels
Thank you for joining us and remembering those we’ve lost. Transgender Day of Remembrance is both a time for mourning and a call to action. Each life we honor today reminds us of our shared responsibility to protect, uplift, and fight for one another. The journey toward justice and safety for transgender people is far from over, but together, we can create a world where trans lives are celebrated and cherished, not threatened. May we leave today with renewed purpose, compassion, and commitment to make that vision a reality.
*The passing of the incredible trans and non-binary humans listed here became known to us earlier this fall. Yet we know there are others—names we may not have heard, stories that remain untold. Today, we hold space for them too. To every trans and non-binary life lost this year, named or unnamed, we honor you. Your lives mattered. You were loved. And in your memory, we recommit ourselves to building a world where all trans and non-binary people can live freely, joyfully, and without fear.
