Day of Remembrance

Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDoR) is observed every year on November 20 to memorialize transgender people who have been killed because of transphobia. It was started in 1999 by advocate Gwendolyn Ann Smith as a vigil for Rita Hester, a Black transgender woman murdered in Massachusetts in 1998. What began as a single candlelight memorial has grown into a worldwide day marked by vigils, name readings, and community gatherings. The day draws attention to the ongoing epidemic of violence against transgender people, which falls most heavily on transgender women of color, and recommits communities to their safety, dignity, and justice. It often anchors the end of Transgender Awareness Week.