TDOR 2023 is on Monday, November 20th
I've never forgotten the first time I attended a Transgender Day of Remembrance observance.
We gathered on a frigid evening on the steps of a building on a local college campus, clutching candles and listening to the reading of the names of all of the vibrant, beloved transgender, non-binary and gender non-conforming people lost to violence and to suicide in the year before. Listening to a local trans elder share his own experiences of the violent intersection of racism and transphobia in our community opened my eyes.
A decade has gone by since that night, and each year, I've participated in the reading. Most of the observances I've been involved with were led by white transgender people, despite 4 out of every 5 deaths reported by the Human Rights Campaign being transgender women of color. These are the people who we should be centering our support around, not just by waiting for these times of mourning, but by fighting alongside them and enabling them to live and thrive.
The people we mourn were loving partners, parents, family members, friends and parts of their communities. They went to work, school and houses of worship. They were real people. They deserved better than this.
Whether you connect with local events or utilize our TDOR Guide to plan an observance as part of worship on Sunday, 11/19, we encourage you to find ways to participate in this remembrance of saints. From there, may we all take steps closer to supporting transgender lives.
Peace in this season of remembering,
Mitch
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On TDOR, Monday, Nov. 20th, we encourage you to join the virtual prayer vigil by our friends at Transmission Ministry Collective.
We’ll join them for a short virtual prayer service live on their YouTube channel on Monday, November 20th at 5pm Pacific / 8pm Eastern as they read the names and remember the stories of those who have died from interpersonal violence, and number them among the great cloud of witnesses who encourage us toward justice.
Visit their website in advance to learn more about TMC.
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Keep your eyes out: What are you Waiting For? An LGBTQIA+ affirming Advent Devotional will be hitting your inboxes very soon!
Comprised of devotionals and reflections on familiar hymns and carols, this resource was made in collaboration with our friends and partners in our Collaborative of Queer Christian Leaders. Written entirely by queer contributors from our sibling organizations in other denominations, we're excited to share this with our shared communities!
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The Holidays are almost upon us, and so shopping season begins. New to ShopRfA are Christmas card designs, available both on postcards and traditional greeting cards. Our Shirts, hats, mugs, sweatshirts and stickers all make great gifts!
As always, your purchase of cards or other RfA merch directly supports our work and the availability of our resources. We'll be adding a couple more new designs soon, so keep checking back, and thank you for your support!
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