which we mourn and remember transgender people who lost their
lives this year.
This day of remembrance is held in November to honor Rita Hester, a transgender woman, who was brutally
murdered on November 28, 1998. Since then, this day has been set
aside to memorialize those who were killed due to anti-transgender
hatred or prejudice. In this year alone, 101 transgender and gender
non-conforming people have lost their lives. And those are just the
losses we know of.
On this day, we gather as a community to acknowledge the tragic and
unnecessary loss of so many lives. Transgender people are our
siblings, childern, partners, friends, and parents. Please join
Family Equality Council in remembering those whose lives were lost
due to gender-based violence and transphobia.
This year’s day of remembrance comes on the heels of some
significant progress. Earlier this fall, President Obama signed the
Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, the
first federal bill to include and protect our transgender brothers
and sisters. It is a strong statement by our government that our
nation will no longer tolerate hate-motivated violence against
transgender people and we hope that it will serve its purpose of
saving lives.
But there is much more to do.
For the past year, we have worked in Congress to pass the Employment
Non-Discrimination Act and in our home state of Massachusetts
to support the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition’s
leadership in passing a bill
that would prohibit anti-transgender discrimination in the
Commonwealth. The ability to earn a living is fundamental to
sustaining a happy, healthy family and on this day of remembrance
when we reflect on the value lost with these lost lives, Family
Equality Council restates its commitment to never stop working
until all lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender-headed
families are celebrated, respected, recognized and protected in our
communities.
We need your stories to
accomplish this goal. Are you a transgender parent or prospective
parent? Help us lift your voice in the fight for equality by
sharing your
story. Together we can build a stronger community, change
hearts and minds and advance social justice for all
families.
Share: