Transgender Day of Remembrance
The Transgender Day of Remembrance is one of the most solemn dates in LGBTQ history.
Every November 20, the community gathers to honor transgender people who lost their lives to anti trans violence, remembering that visibility is not aesthetic. It is survival.
This day holds mourning and resistance in equal measure.
Where the Transgender Day of Remembrance Began
The murder that sparked a movement
The origins of TDoR trace back to 1998, with the murder of Rita Hester, a Black trans woman in Allston, Massachusetts.
Her case was reported with misgendering, sensationalism and indifference, a familiar pattern in media coverage of transgender lives.
One year later, activist Gwendolyn Ann Smith organized a vigil in Rita’s honor. That vigil became the first Transgender Day of Remembrance, a memorial that soon spread across LGBTQ communities worldwide.
This history connects directly to why LGBTQ visibility, queer fashion, pride clothing and expressions of identity matter. Visibility is not decoration. It is a political stance shaped by loss, erasure and resilience.
The Historical Pattern of Anti Trans Violence
A global crisis backed by data
Violence against trans people is not new, and it is not local.
According to the Trans Murder Monitoring project by Transgender Europe, 321 transgender and gender diverse people were murdered in 2023, the majority of them Black trans women, Latina trans women and migrant trans people.
Most victims were targeted due to a combination of racism, misogyny, transphobia and economic marginalization. Many cases were misgendered by authorities or not recorded at all, revealing a systemic failure to acknowledge trans lives even in death.
Why remembrance is essential
Naming the dead is an act of truth-telling.
It pushes back against systems that erase trans people in life and after life.
This is also why movements in queer streetwear, gender-neutral clothing, genderless clothing, unisex streetwear and fashion as protest became part of LGBTQ expression — clothing as a way to be seen when society tries to make you invisible.
Candlelight vigil in Tirana honoring the Transgender Day of Remembrance in 2023. Photo by Eriona Cami, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons.
How TDoR Became a Global Memorial
From a local vigil to an international movement
In the early 2000s, LGBTQ centers, activists and community groups adopted TDoR as an annual ritual.
Today it is observed in over 30 countries, including marches, candlelight vigils, reading of names and artistic tributes.
These gatherings show the global relevance of LGBTQ visibility, gender-neutral fashion, and queer streetwear as expressions that resist erasure.
The role of queer visibility
Visibility has always been a form of protection.
This connects TDoR to the long tradition of pride outfits, pride merch, queer fashion and gender-inclusive clothing, which function as cultural statements as much as personal expression.
Support organizations like The Trevor Project, which provides LGBTQ youth with crisis support and research on mental health and violence.
Supporting Trans Lives Beyond November 20
What solidarity looks like
Honoring trans lives is not enough without action.
Support can be personal, political or communal.
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Uplift trans voices and creators
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Share research that expands LGBTQ visibility
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Support queer-owned brands investing in sustainable fashion, ethical clothing, slow fashion and on demand fashion
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Advocate for legal gender recognition
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Respect chosen names and pronouns
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Challenge misinformation and transphobia
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Protect trans youth through affirming policies
Each action strengthens a world where remembrance is not the only way we speak trans names.
📖 Read more from our blog
Intersex Day of Remembrance: Beyond the Binary
Why intersex visibility matters and how remembrance strengthens our wider LGBTQIA+ community.
Families of Pride: The Power of Trans Parent Day
A look at the love, resilience and visibility of transgender parents shaping the future of our community.
Cover image: Performance during the Transgender Day of Remembrance in San Francisco, 2017. Photo by Pax Ahimsa Gethen, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons.
Written by the Miltti Team | November 2025