In 2015,
BreakOUT coined the name Transgender Day of Resilience to reshift the narrative
from one of trans deaths to trans survival and resilience. Read more about
it here.
What is the
purpose of the Transgender Day of Remembrance?
The
Transgender Day of Remembrance raises public awareness of hate crimes against
transgender people and publicly mourns and honors the lives of transgender
people who might otherwise be forgotten. Through the vigil, we express love and
respect in the face of national indifference and hatred. Day of Remembrance
gives transgender people and their allies a chance to step forward and stand in
vigil, memorializing those who’ve died by anti-transgender violence. Putting on
the Day of Remembrance in schools can also be used as a way to educate
students, teachers, and administrators about transgender issues, so we can try
to prevent anti-transgender further hatred and violence.
What are the
guiding principles of the Transgender Day of Remembrance?
These are the
guiding principles developed by the organizers of the Day of Remembrance. You
can use these words to help frame your message and tone for the day.
·
“Those who cannot remember the past are
doomed to repeat it.” (Santayana)
·
All who die due to anti-transgender violence
are to be remembered.
·
It’s up to us to remember them, since their
killers, law enforcement, and media often seek to erase their existence.
·
We can make a difference by being visible,
speaking out, educating and organizing around anti-transgender violence.
·
Transgender lives are affirmed as valuable.
How do people
honor TDOR?
·
Candlelight Vigils/Marches
·
Discussion forums with local activists,
politicians, or school officials, teach-ins, or speaker bureaus
·
Poetry or spoken word art readings
·
Visual representation of the number of
deaths (for example with flowers or body outline chalkings)
·
Art/Photography Displays
·
Movie screenings (such as “Boys Don’t Cry”)
·
Trans 101 trainings for staff or any
interested people
Tips for
planning a successful Day of Remembrance
BEFORE
·
Make a plan. Your GSA should plan how you want to approach the project and what
you want the day to consist of.
·
Create a timeline. After deciding what it is your club would like to do, you should
make a timeline so that everyone knows what needs to be done. Be sure to
include who is in charge of each item and when it needs to be finished.
·
Get more people involved. You should try to get as many people as possible aware of the
event and involved in participating. You could do that by sending out e-mail
announcements, advertising in the school newspaper, putting up flyers and
posters, and of course, by word of mouth.
·
Build coalitions. Consider collaborating with other school clubs. There might be a
need for education on how violence affects different groups, as well as how
anti-transgender violence disproportionately affects low-income youth of color.
It is important for people to know how violence based on gender affects all
communities.
·
Issue a press release. Let the local media know about what you are doing to honor the
Transgender Day of Remembrance. Describe the events at your school, history of
the event, and use some quotes from GSA members about why you are doing the
event. Be sure to include a phone number so a reporter can follow up for
interviews.
·
Get
teachers/administrators/staff involved. Find out
if staff are interested in participating.
·
Let your principal know. Schedule a meeting with your principal to explain your plans for
the Day of Remembrance.
·
Be prepared! Have a pre-Transgender Day of Remembrance meeting to discuss
positive ways to handle harassment from non-participants. Be prepared to have
spokespersons from your group who can speak about the event. This is an
emotionally charged subject, and can end up being a very “down” event. Provide
remembrance of those we’ve lost, but also provide reassurance and healing for
those in attendance.
DURING
·
Announce the event. Post an announcement in the daily bulletin explaining the event and
requesting that all staff and students be respectful of the students
participating in the project.
·
Coordinate volunteers. Ask people to help setup your event. Make sure that you have enough
people for setup, monitoring the event, and cleanup.
·
Provide resources. Have a resource spot or staffed table where people can find info about
your GSA or other LGBTQ groups and resources.
·
Organize visual displays. Organize some sort of visible display such as having your participants
wear a sticker or T-shirt that commemorates a victim of anti-transgender
violence.
·
Hold your event. During the event, be sure to: let people know what the purpose of
the event is, have speakers discussing transgender issues, read the names of
people victimized by anti-transgender violence, describe the meaning of the
visual art you have used on campus (e.g. cardboard cutouts, chalkings, etc.),
close the event, and thank everyone for coming.
·
Create a safe space. Due to the intensity of the event — you should think of creative
ways to create a safe space, such as a safe room where people can go if they
need to reflect or talk about their feelings.
AFTER
·
Continue the education. Host a discussion about how to raise awareness of transgender people
every day as opposed to one day out of the year. The Day of Remembrance can be
a perfect opportunity to raise people’s awareness of and interest in
transgender issues. Some ideas for addressing larger issues within the school
or community include:
o
Adding “gender identity and gender
expression” to the school’s handbook
o
Having a Trans 101 training for faculty and
staff
o
Campaigning for some restrooms be gender
neutral and available to people of all genders to use
o
Educating your GSA on trans issues and how
to be better trans allies
·
Evaluate the day. Evaluate the successes of the day and discuss what improvements
could be made for next year.
·
Plan for next year. Lay groundwork for the next Transgender Day of Remembrance.
This resource
sheet was adapted from materials published by the Transgender Day of
Remembrance, a project of Gender Education and Advocacy.
SOURCE:
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