OPSEU's Rainbow Alliance will commemorate the
International Transgender Day of Remembrance on
November 19, 2012. It will host a public forum from
7-9pm at the Toronto Regional Office on Wellesley
Street East. Its objective is to highlight the
importance of this day but also to advocate for the
need of increased awareness on transgender issues.
The Transgender Day of Remembrance was set aside to
memorialize those who were killed due to
anti-transgender hatred or prejudice. This annual
event, held in November, honours the life of Rita
Hester. She was an African American transgender
woman who was brutally murdered on November 28,
1998. Shortly after her death, members of the local
community organized a candlelight vigil in her
honour. The “Remembering Our Dead” web project was
also established in response to Rita's murder and
like most anti-transgender murder cases, it has yet
to be solved.
Hester's murder also inspired activists from San
Francisco to launch the Transgender Day of
Remembrance in 1999. The number of cities
commemorating this annual event has gradually
increased since its inception.
This day of remembrance reminds everyone that
transgender people are also our sons, daughters,
parents, friends and lovers. Allies are encouraged
to step forward, stand in solidarity to honour those
who have died as a result of anti-transgender
violence.
Join members of the Rainbow Alliance as they
celebrate the significance behind this day.
For more information,
click here.
