Transgender Day of Remembrance

November 20^th is Transgender Day of Remembrance. It is on this day that we remember and mourn the loss of transgender individuals who were murdered. The transgender community has been in the media more than we’ve ever seen, so consequently, there has been a lot of misinformation on what it means to be transgender. Someone who is transgender (or trans for short) doesn’t identify with the sex and gender that was assigned to them when they were born. There are many gender identities, and these identities have nothing to do with the body.

This year has been the deadliest year for trans people in recorded history. So far, 2017 has seen at least 25 homicides of trans Americans, and most of these people were trans women of color. One out of every 14 transgender people will be murdered, and one out of every 8 trans women of color will be murdered. The homicide rate for the general American population is 5.3 out of every 100,000. These are the names of the trans people that were murdered that we have identified.

Mesha Caldwell
Sean Hake,
Jamie Lee Wounded Arrow
JoJo Striker
Tiara Richmond, also known as Keke Collier 
Chyna Gibson
Ciara McElveen
Jaquarrius Holland
Alphonza Watson,
Chay Reed,
Kenneth Bostick
Sherrell Faulkner
Kenne McFadden
Kendra Marie Adams
Ava Le'Ray Barrin
Ebony Morgan
TeeTee Dangerfield
Gwynevere River Song
Kiwi Herring
Kashmire Nazier Redd
Derricka Banner
Scout Schultz
Ally Steinfeld
Stephanie Montez
Candace Towns

Staff here at Friends of the Family mourn the loss of these individuals, and of all other individuals taken by violence. We acknowledge that many minority groups experience higher rates of violence, including the transgender community.

If you are transgender, and are fleeing violence, please know that our services are open to you and everyone else who qualifies. Please call our crisis line at 319-352-0037 for more information.