Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR) was created to honor Rita Hester, a black trans woman killed by an unknown attacker after being stabbed 20 times. It’s become a national holiday for the entire LGBTQ community and all who stand in solidarity with the struggle for trans liberation.

The Trump administration has unleashed a vicious assault on transgender people. The Trump admin’s attacks on all LGBTQ+ people has started with an assault on trans people. The government now “officially recognizes” two sexes. Gender affirming care for youth is being targeted and removed around the country due to the threat of losing federal funding.

Trans immigrants are being forced into work camps and treated with brutality by ICE officers. Trans women are being pushed into men’s prisons and restricted from social transitioning. Trans people’s mere existence has become an ideological threat to the Republican Party, and many Democrats have agreed or refused to seriously fight against these attacks. Transgender people are under greater attack within the United States and around the world than they’ve been in decades.

These disgusting and hideous attacks have not come without consequences for the trans community. Sam Nordquist, a trans man, was tortured to death over more than a month.

None of these deaths should be seen as accidental, as isolated instances outside of human control. The responsibility for the enormous unemployment, suicide, and struggle trans individuals face lies with the United States ruling class, which benefits from political attacks on trans people that reinforce traditional gender roles rooted in the oppression of women, and helps them further exploit all LGBTQ people and women economically by using these political attacks to extract even more surplus value and wealth as the democratic rights of oppressed groups continues to erode.

Remembrance is important, but the only way to win trans liberation and end the constant attacks from the rightwing reactionaries and the Trump administration is to fight back.

Honor TDOR, but don’t simply point out the harm they’ve faced and show sympathy. Commit to raising the level of consciousness and struggle around why attacks on transgender people are increasing. Attend or hold a rally or vigil in your city and use that to connect with trans individuals and organizations in your city. Unite and bring as many organizations as possible to the event and organize people to oppose anti-trans/anti-LGBTQ bills and attacks for your city.

As revolutionaries it is our responsibility to help people understand that solidarity with LGBTQ and trans people in particular is solidarity with an oppressed minority who have a vested interest in opposing the reactionary rule of the United States. We must lead the movement for LGBTQ liberation to adopt an anti-imperialist stance and realize the United States leadership is the greatest threat to trans rights in the world.

TDOR is a vigil and a time to remember and move forward. We need to fight for a world where transgender people are fully politically and socially equal – and only a socialist revolution where the working class is put in charge can achieve that.

#LGBTQ #Trans #TransDayOfRemembrance #FRSO #Statement

San Jose, CA – On November 22, the San Jose People’s Pride Coalition held a vigil and march for Trans Day of Remembrance, a day commemorating the lives lost to transphobia.

“Fight Trump’s Hate, Honor Their Names” was the theme of this year's action as Trump and Republicans’ attacks on trans people and other oppressed people continue to ramp up.

The event started with emcee Evelyn Cooper asking a member of the crowd to say the names of the 58 people who have died since the last Trans Day of Remembrance. Pictures of all of those named, along with candles, were laid in front of the speakers to underscore the number of those killed.

People’s Pride organizer Hazel Tongzhi began the evening by emphasizing that attacks on trans people did not start with Trump’s administration but are part of a larger systemic issue. “Those who died to violence are almost entirely oppressed nationalities – Black and Chicano – trans women. This is not mere coincidence. This is the structural issue of transphobia and transmisogyny particularly and the intersection of it with race and class,” stated Tongzhi.

Pan Garcia Breceda from Community Service Organization (CSO) San Jose spoke on Trump's attacks on immigrants and the Chicano community. They highlighted the local example of Ulises Pena Lopez, who was detained by ICE in late February. Breceda explained that ICE “smashed his car window with a baton and dragged him out of his vehicle.”

Breceda emphasized the importance of solidarity between movements as “both the transgender movement and immigrant movement have received attacks directly under Trump and his administration.”

Lyla Salinas, an organizer with the Freedom Road Socialist Organization, spoke, “Whether you’re cis or trans, the monopoly capitalist ruling class is the common enemy of all working and oppressed people.” Salinas continued, “True liberation for trans people, working people, Black people and all oppressed people will never become a reality as long as billionaires run this country. There is only one path to liberation: revolution and socialism.”

Shortly afterwards, the crowd of people led a march through San Pedro Square and Post Street where a longstanding gay bar is located. As they marched, they chanted, “When trans people are under attack, what do we do? Stand up, fight back!” and “Hell no we won't be quiet! Stonewall was a riot!”

The vigil and march concluded with calls for action and to organize a broad front against Trump.

#SanJoseCA #CA #LGBTQ #Trans #TransDayOfRemembrance

Tallahassee, FL – On November 20, organizers and community members gathered for Trans Day of Remembrance, a day of resistance and mourning for the countless lives lost to transphobia.

The event, hosted by Capital Tea Tallahassee and cosponsored by local organizations, offered a chance for reflection and resistance. As Trump’s attacks on transgender people continue to escalate, speakers like Delilah Pierre, president of the Tallahassee Community Action Committee (TCAC), highlighted the unacceptable impacts of transphobia, and the hope she sees in our movement.

“I don’t think there are any trans suicides. I think it’s all murder. I think there is an intentional effort engineered by a few people in our country, some of the most racist, reactionary, transphobic people, to make life as horrible as us as possible, but I’m glad we’re all here, because that’s not true. We’re here, we’re living! We’re together! We’re fighting together, we’re standing together,” said Pierre.

Between speakers, local drag queens performed, demonstrating that even in times of darkness the trans community will not be silenced. Dancing on stage, they honored the trans people left behind, and gave a glimpse of the future we can fight to achieve.

“On Trans Day of Remembrance, we remember those who we lost, but we also have to look forward. We have to look forward to creating a world where we no longer need to read the names of those we lost in the past year. We need to look forward to a world where we are all free,” said Alice Bostwick, speaking on behalf of Tally SDS.

Finishing the event, Janel Diaz, executive director of Capital Tea Tallahassee, led the crowd in a candle lighting ceremony. As attendees stood together, Jae Douglas, also from Capital Tea, spoke the names of the 300 transgender people lost this year. Once the list was read, the crowd blew out their candles all at once, a quiet moment of solidarity in the fight against transphobia.

#TallahasseeFL #FL #LGBTQ #Trans #TransDayOfRemembrance

New Orleans, LA – On March 31, over 200 LGBTQ folks and allies gathered in Washington Square Park near the French Quarter. Just an hour before the annual Gay Easter Parade, the crowd came together to hear opening remarks from organizations.

After a brief introduction, Lucas Harrell of the Queer and Trans Community Action Project defined the attacks that the LGBTQ community in Louisiana is facing. “We face oppression, we face violence, and we face censorship. And we cannot be silent about these injustices! It’s up to us to defend ourselves, as Democrats have proven to be spineless, while profiting off of our most vulnerable, just like our Republicans!”

This Trans Day of Visibility rally comes in the context of a flurry of homophobic and transphobic bills that have been filed in the Louisiana state legislature. These include a Don’t Say Gay bill that would ban teachers from discussing sexuality and gender in the classroom, as well as a Deadname bill that would require educators and staff to deadname and misgender students. While the previous Democratic governor sometimes vetoed these kinds of bills, the current far-right Governor Jeff Landry will make the fight tougher for the LGBTQ community.

A memorial was held before the march. Speakers read aloud the names of trans and queer siblings lost over the past year, including Nex Benedict, the transgender student from Oklahoma who was murdered by one of their classmates in February. Afterwards, organizers conducted a ceremony, passing out flowers to and honoring the trans folks in attendance.

Just before the march, Toni Duplechain-Jones of New Orleans Community Oversight of the police addressed the crowd about the importance of resisting the increasing waves of political repression in the state. Duplechain-Jones stated, “69% of trans people with HIV in New Orleans have been incarcerated, and that number is only increasing, and our most vulnerable are only facing more discrimination and more incarceration. That’s exactly why I wanted to be here today with the position of fighting back against police brutality and police discrimination on our trans siblings.”

With banners and signs declaring “Resist Landry!” and “Protect trans youth!” and waving transgender and non-binary flags high, the protesters took to the streets to cut straight into the heart of the French Quarter, surprising the waiting Gay Easter Parade crowd with chants of “Jeff Landry you can’t hide, we charge you with genocide!” and “When trans kids are under attack, what do we do? Stand up, fight back!” The march continued for several blocks with cheers of solidarity from the crowds gathered on the sidewalks and leaking out of bars and restaurants.

Eventually, the march made its way back to the park where speakers from other organizers showed how their struggles were intertwined with the trans struggle.

“On the job, in this state, in our country, it is clear that there is a war on our bodies and our existence. I say bring the war! It’s important to center ourselves on fighting anyways,” said Abbey Lodwig, a trans organizer for Starbucks Workers United.

Lodwig continued, describing the Starbucks campaign, “They took back their promise to take transphobia seriously and made it clear that the boss and customers’ comfort was far more important than our safety. Do you think me and my coworkers backed down?” The crowd responded to their question with a resounding “Hell no!”

The march ended with an open space for everyone gathered to breathe and be present with the community that had gathered there. At the same time, organizers reiterated the urgency of continuing the fight against political repression and violence from Landry’s administration.

The trans and queer community of New Orleans said it loud and clear – they will keep the fight for their rights in the streets!

#NewOrleansLA #LGBTQ #Trans #TransDayOfRemembrance #QTCAP #NOCOP