Transgender Day of Remembrance
On this Transgender Day of Remembrance, NCLEJ honors the lives of trans and gender diverse people lost to systemic oppression and both interpersonal and state violence. In 2020 alone, 350 trans and gender diverse people across the globe have been murdered, an increase of 6% since 2019. Black and migrant trans women of color are most often victim to these unconscionable murders, and in general are most vulnerable to and targeted by acts of violence. People of color comprise 79% of the 28 trans people murdered in the United States in 2020. But as alarming as these figures are, they are also incomplete. Data concerning violence against trans and gender diverse people is not systematically collected, their stories often never make the news, and their lives are further disrespected through misgendering by family, media, and the state.
As critical as it is to remember our trans and gender diverse siblings and #saytheirnames, it is not enough to merely raise awareness of these tragic acts of violence: we must commit to supporting and uplifting the lives of trans and gender diverse people everywhere. Trans people are disproportionately criminalized and over-policed, as well as significantly more likely to be unemployed or living in poverty, especially during COVID-19. Trans and gender diverse people are also dramatically underrepresented in both local and national politics, perpetuating the erasure of trans lives and fueling state-sanctioned violence against them.
We must amplify the tireless advocacy of trans and gender diverse leaders in the movement for economic and racial justice as we fight together for a just and equitable society. We cannot tolerate trans erasure, let alone one more death.
Read the names of trans and gender diverse people who have been murdered in 2020.
