Transgender Awareness Week (November 13 – 19) leads up to the Transgender Day of Remembrance every year to help raise awareness of transgender, gender diverse and non-binary people, the issues facing communities, and the ways people can get involved as allies to improve lives and create a more fair and equal world for everyone. Transgender Awareness Week is a week when transgender people and their allies take action to bring attention to the trans community by educating the public about who transgender people are, sharing stories and experiences, and advancing advocacy around issues of prejudice, discrimination, and violence that affect the transgender community.
HISTORY OF TRANS AWARENESS WEEK
The Transgender Day of Remembrance was founded in 1999 by activist Gwendolyn Ann Smith in memory of Rita Hester, a transgender woman who was murdered in 1998. Rita’s death highlighted the alarming rates of violence faced by transgender people and compelled the community to recognize and remember victims of transphobic violence. Twenty-five years later, what began as a vigil to honour Rita has grown into an annual, global observance dedicated to memorializing all those who have lost their lives to such violence and reaffirms the need to create safer, more inclusive spaces.
Take a moment to watch EGALE’s video that highlights the voices of trans and gender diverse stories: Listen to their Stories
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