Friday, November 20
7 p.m. | 4500 Kensington Avenue
Richmond Friends Meeting
The Transgender Day of Remembrance honors the memories of lives lost to anti-transgender violence. Join members of community organizations in remembering those fallen. On Friday, November 20 at 7 p.m. at the Richmond Friends Meeting on 4500 Kensington Avenue, community organizations invite the public in remembering those fallen. An observance will be followed by speakers addressing issues of violence facing the transgender community.
Click to download a flyer to distribute to your organization.
“Many people who suffer from ‘homophobic’ discrimination and hate crimes are singled out for persecution based on their gender variance,” Day of Remembrance Steering Committee member Ted Heck said.
Invitations have been extended to the mayor, city council members, and the chief of police. As part of the education and advocacy component of the Day of Remembrance, mayoral and council proclamations concerning the Day’s significance have been sought.
When this effort was first undertaken in 1999, the rate of such deaths was roughly one per month. Since then, that statistic has almost doubled. It’s unclear whether actual violence has increased or if reporting is more accurate since the Day of Remembrance project started.
The day is held on the anniversary of the death of Rita Hester, a transgender woman whose life was cut short just weeks following the gay-bashing death of Matthew Shepard. To date, her murder remains an unsolved crime.
The Richmond Friends Meeting, in a demonstration of support for the LGBT community, opens its doors for the second consecutive year for one of that group’s most somber events.
The Rainbow Minute
“The Rainbow Minute,” a radio show on WRIR, Richmond Independent Radio, is committed to bringing to light the often under-represented history of the transgender community by featuring 10 new episodes during the month of November. Listen to the WRIR’s audio stream here or tune into 97.3 FM every Weekday at 9:03am, 12:30pm and 4:30pm
The week of November 16th will feature transgender pioneers. The week of November 23rd will reveal the history of the Compton Cafeteria Riots in San Francisco in August of 1966, three years before the Stonewall Riots. These riots were initiated by the transgender community and helped create change in laws and rights for the GLBT community.
Free CD copies of these episodes will be available at the Transgender Day of Remembrance event on November 20.
Honoring Transgender Pioneers
Monday, Nov. 16 – Take a Walk on the Wild Side
Tuesday, Nov. 17 – Gender Pioneer, Dr. Michael Dillon
Wednesday, Nov. 18 – Gender Outlaw and Provocateur, Kate Bornstein
Thursday, Nov. 19 – Remembering Rita Hester
Friday, Nov. 20 – The Transgender Day of Remembrance
Compton Cafeteria Riots – The Transgender Community Fights Back
Monday, Nov. 23 – The Almost Forgotten Riot
Tuesday, Nov. 24 – Recipe for a Riot
Wednesday, Nov. 25 – Compton’s Cafeteria Turns Violent
Thursday, Nov. 26 – After the Compton’s Riot
Friday, Nov. 27 – Compton’s vs. Stonewall
Sponsors
Equality Virginia, Fan Free Clinic, GLSEN Richmond, The Gay Community Center of Richmond, Gay Pride Virginia, GayRVA.com, James River Transgender Society, Metropolitan Community Church of Richmond, Mothers & Others of Virginia, PFLAG Richmond, People of Faith for Equality in Virginia, Richmond Lesbian Feminists, Queer Action at VCU, The Rainbow Minute, Richmond Friends Meeting, Richmond Transformers, St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, Richmond Peace and Education Center, ROSMY, Gay Pride Virginia, Virginia Anti Violence Project (VAVP), The Virginia Flame, Virginia Transgender Rights Coalition
Steering Committee: Quillin Drew, co-owner, Harrison St.Coffee House; Ted Heck, Virginia Anti-Violence Project & the Richmond Transformers; Michelle-Marie McKay, co-founder, VA. Transgender Rights Coalition; Xavier Guadalupe, Queer Action, VCU; Beth Marschak, Richmond Lesbian Feminists; Shawn McNulty, Fan Free Clinic and De Sube, Principal, De Sube Business and Marketing Consultants.
