On Trans Day of Remembrance, Building Towards Liberated Futures for People of All Genders
By Bailey C. Elis, Planned Parenthood of Greater New York activist
November 20th is Transgender Day of Remembrance, often abbreviated as TDOR. Separate from Transgender Day of Visibility (TDOV), TDOR is a day of observance where we honor the lives of transgender, non-binary, and gender-non-conforming people who were murdered. It’s a day that draws attention to the ever-present and often violent transphobia that TGNC face every day. Started in response to the murder of Rita Hester, a Black trans woman, in 1998, TDOR is a yearly reminder that while we have come so far in some aspects, we have so much more to do and fight for.
With the estimated 36 TGNC people killed this year in the US and Puerto Rico (with the fact that others might be unreported or misgendered in reports), and an estimated 350 reported globally, 2020 has become the deadliest year for the trans community. At the end of this article, I want to lift the names of those lost in the US and Puerto Rico this year, the majority of them BIPOC trans women.
Yet, even with the high number of transphobic murders that occur every year, there is little to no acknowledgment of the target transgender people walk around with, as well as the fact that trans people of color face the greatest danger. Not only is this the case in the mainstream media, but with those who consider themselves allies.
This year saw the Black Lives Matter movement gain more momentum as protests in response to the slaying of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and other Black people at the hands of police filled the streets all over the country. However, a name seemed to be left out of the mouths of many, most notably the white allies- Tony McDade, a Black transgender man who was shot by police.
When it comes to discrimination and hatred, racism and transphobia intersect all too often; every year the majority of transgender people murdered are BIPOC trans women. So why don’t we hear about that? Why don’t we say their names? Why is it the only time it’s “appropriate” to discuss is for a few minutes when another Black trans woman is found murdered? Why do we insist we have to “wait for pride” to discuss the BIPOC trans people we lose to transphobic violence? Why are the names of BIPOC trans people looked at as an “other” category that’s lucky to even be a footnote at the end of the day?
To my fellow white people, LGBTQ or cishet folks, when you say, “Black Lives Matter,” you need to be sure you’re including Black trans people in that. They do not exist just for pride month. They need to be included, their voices need to be uplifted, and their stories told.
Below is a list of the names, ages (those that were provided), and locations of those lost in the US and Puerto Rico in 2020, as seen on the Human Rights Campaign’s list in order of date of occurrence:
Dustin Parker, 25, Oklahoma
Neulisa Luciano Ruiz, Pueto Rico
Yampi Mendez Arocho, 19, Puerto Rico
Scott/Scottlyn Devore, 51, Georgia
Monika Diamond, 34, North Carolina
Lexi, 33, New York
Johanna Metzger, Maryland
Serena Angelique Velazquez Ramos, 32, Puerto Rico
Layla Pelaez Sanchez, 21, Puerto Rico
Penelope Diaz Ramirez, Puerto Rico
Nina Pop, 28, Missouri
Helle Jae O’Regan, 20, Texas
Tony McDade, 27, Florida
Dominique “Rem’mie” Fells, Pennsylvania
Riah Milton, 25, Ohio
Jayne Thompson, 33, Colorado
Selena Reyes-Hernandez, 37, Illinois
Brian “Egypt” Powers, 43, Ohio
Brayla Stone, 17, Arkansas
Merci Mack, 22,Texas
Shaki Peters, 32, Louisiana
Bree Black, 27, Florida
Summer Taylor, 24, Washington
Marilyn Cazares, 22, California
Dior H Ova/ Tiffany Harris, New York
Queasha D Hardy, 22, Louisiana
Aja Raquell Rhone-Spears/Rocky Rhone, Oregon
Lea Rayshon Daye, 28, Ohio
Kee Sam, Louisiana
Aeerion Burnett, Missouri
Mia Green, 29, Pennsylvania
Michelle Michellyn Ramos Vargas, mid-30s, Puerto Rico
Felycya Harris, 33, Georgia
Brooklyn Deshuna, 20, Louisiana
Sara Blackwood, Indiana
Angel Unique, 25, Tennessee
Trans communities deserve better. We deserve to live freely, with dignity, respect, and compassion from others. We deserve health care, equal protection under the law, bodily autonomy, and freedom from fear. Let’s not rest until our stories and lives are honored, and each one of us can live with the opportunity to thrive.
Bailey C. Elis (he/they) is an actor, writer, musician, and trans activist.
