November 13-19 is Transgender Awareness Week, a week devoted to raising the visibility of transgender people and addressing issues members of the community face.
In spite of progress advancing civil rights for LGBTQ+ Americans, too many transgender people face systemic barriers to freedom and equality. Transgender people of all ages face the highest rates of violence, harassment and discrimination in the U.S. Nearly one in three transgender Americans have experienced homelessness at some point in life and continue to face significant barriers to equitable employment, housing, health care and public accommodations.
During this week, people and organizations bring attention to the transgender community by educating the public, sharing stories and advancing advocacy around issues that impact the transgender community.
Transgender Day of Remembrance
Transgender Awareness Week leads up to Transgender Day of Remembrance on November 20, an annual observance that honors the memory of the transgender people whose lives were lost in anti-transgender violence that year. Tragically, 2021 is now considered the deadliest year on record for transgender people, and most victims have been Black or Latinx.
Local Transgender Day of Remembrance Events
- Join the Transgender Day of Remembrance Interfaith Vigil on November 20 virtually or in-person at First Unitarian Portland. The vigil will include representatives from diverse faiths, musicians, and community leaders. All people, transgender or cisgender, are welcome.
- Attend Transgender Day of Remembrance 2021 at The Q Center on November 19. This event will feature food, speakers and an interactive art display in remembrance of loved ones lost. You can also make a donation toward the event.
We encourage you to continue learning about the transgender community beyond this week so that we continue building a collective effort to uplift some of our most marginalized community members.
Additional Resources
- If you’re cisgender, you can learn about being a better ally to transgender people with these tips from GLAAD.
- Learn about why personal pronouns matter.
- Read this column about trans joy.
- Watch Pose, a television show that features the largest cast of transgender actors in series regular roles. Pose tells the story of ball culture and gay and trans community in New York in the late 80s and early 90s.
Looking for organizations to support and learn from? Check out Black and Beyond the Binary Collective, TransActive Gender Center, Trans Women of Color Collective, The Transgender Training Institute and Familia:TQLM.
