Today is International Transgender Day of Remembrance

If you are unaware of what this day is all about, let me fill you in real quick: Transgender Day of Remembrance memorializes those who were killed due to anti-transgender hatred or prejudice. The event is held every Nov. 20. It was founded to honor Rita Hester, whose murder in 1998 kicked off the "Remembering Our Dead" web project and a San Francisco candlelight vigil in 1999. Since then, the event has grown to encompass memorials in hundreds of cities around the world. According to the Transgender Day of Remembrance website:

The Transgender Day of Remembrance serves several purposes. It raises public awareness of hate crimes against transgender people, an action that current media doesn’t perform. Day of Remembrance publicly mourns and honors the lives of our brothers and sisters who might otherwise be forgotten. Through the vigil, we express love and respect for our people in the face of national indifference and hatred. Day of Remembrance reminds non-transgender people that we are their sons, daughters, parents, friends and lovers. Day of Remembrance gives our allies a chance to step forward with us and stand in vigil, memorializing those of us who’ve died by anti-transgender violence.

That same site also has a list of events being held around the world. Some have already happened, but check and see if there is one going on in your city. You might be surprised. If you want, you can also see a list of some of the people who are being memorialized today. According to the Trans Murder Monitoring project -- yes, that exists -- this year alone there are almost 180 trans persons to be added to the list to be remembered, mourned and honored.

If nothing else today, please read the following articles and consider what can be done to make this world safer for all trans people.

• Colorlines: "Remembering the Transgender Women Murdered Last Year."
• Missoluian: "Misconceptions, answers about transgendered people."
• The Bilerico Project: "What Transmisogyny Looks Like."
• The Advocate: "In Honor of Trans Kids."
• Chicago Now: "The Pronoun Problem: How to Say it Right."