By Kylie Spiro, Communications Coordinator, BAMSI
November 20, 1999, marked the first Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR), honoring the memory of transphobic violence victims. The first TDOR was held in honor of Rita Hester, a 34-year-old African American trans woman who was murdered in Boston in 1998.
Hester was an openly trans woman for nearly her whole life and was well-known in her town of Allston. She was familiar with the transphobic violence in her community and had openly expressed concern to family and friends.
On November 28, 1998, Hester was stabbed in her own apartment, allegedly by someone whom she had invited in. A year after her death, the first TDOR was observed, thanks to transgender advocate, Gwendolyn Ann Smith. The vigil began an important tradition that has now become an annual commemoration.
How can I get involved in Transgender Day of Remembrance
While the official day of remembrance has already passed, there are still many ways to get involved in the commemoration of transgender lives lost year over year.
- Donate your time, money, or in-kind contributions to a local transgender-serving organization. BAMSI’s TCORE program recently launched the TCORE Emergency Fund, the first fund of its kind on Massachusetts’ South Shore. The goal of this emergency fund is to help address some of the disparities members of the transgender community face. All the money they raise will come from private donors so that they can use it flexibly to support clients with their needs, such as rental assistance, food insecurity, medications, and travel for gender confirmation surgeries.
- Educate yourself about transgender lives, history, and terminology. There are lots of films, books, podcasts, and TV series that can help.
- Add your pronouns to your email signature and MS Teams display name to send a message that you acknowledge and respect diverse gender identities.
- Recognize and challenge anti-transgender discrimination. Check out the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women’s statement of solidarity against LGBTQ+ violence.
Though trans visibility has increased significantly since Hester’s death, transgender people are still being murdered at a higher than national average. On Transgender Day of Remembrance, BAMSI remembers and honors the transgender people whose lives have been lost to anti-transgender violence this year and over the years. BAMSI’s mission is to provide trans, non-binary, gender non-conforming, and other members of the LGBTQ+ community support on every step of their journey.
TCORE is one of the only programs on the South Shore that works to support and empower transgender and gender non-conforming individuals. To learn more about BAMSI’s TCORE programs and their team of trauma-informed and culturally-sensitive care specialists, visit www.bamsi.org.
Community Voices for Health 