The Transgender Day of Remembrance was set aside to memorialize those who were killed due to anti-transgender hatred or prejudice (transphobia). This day is celebrated on November 20 to honor Rita Hester, whose murder in 1998 kicked off the “Remembering Our Dead”, web project and a San Francisco candlelit vigil in 1999. Since then, the event has grown to encompass memorials in dozens of cities across the world.

Transphobia is widely spread form of discrimination against transsexual and transgender people. Discrimination or intolerant behavior towards transgendered people can include harassment, assault, rape, murder as well as more subtle and indirect forms of prejudice.

On this day we remember and publicly mourn victims of transgender hate, but we also gather to campaign against hate crimes against transgendered people.