Transgender Day of Remembrance

Trans Day of Remembrance is one of the hardest days for me because it makes me confront the fact that trans people, more often than not trans women of color, are demonized by the dominant culture. It hurts my heart to hear that upwards of 265 trans people have been taken from this world too soon this year, and in horrific ways. After losing friends in both the bi and trans communities over the years, I decided that we needed to create space for all of us to get together and build community. Thus, the Trans Bi Brunch was born as a positive response to TDoR. This brunch happens on the 4th Saturday of the month, 12:30pm at a local eatery called Crepevine on Church at Market, and it is a space where the trans and bi communities connect. 

I hope that you will join me and others in the bi and trans communities to remember our 265+ dead this year by going to the many Trans Day of Remembrance events across the globe. Last night I was honored to be part of the Trans Flag raising in the Castro, by blessing the marchers, the flag and the entire community I was overcome with a sense of our connectedness across gender and sexuality.  

In the coming week their will be three more TDoR events in the Bay Area:

San Francisco, California
Will be holding a Transgender Day of Remembrance event
on Tuesday, November 20, 2012 at 5:00pm
Please join us for San Francisco’s Transgender Day of Remembrance 2012.
We will meet at SF City Hall at 5pm and march to the City of Refuge
(1025 Howard St.) in SOMA.
If you do not wish to join the march, you can also come directly to
the City of Refuge, where the main TDOR event will begin at 6pm.
https://www.facebook.com/events/374274065988154/
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San Francisco, California
Will be holding a Transgender Day of Remembrance Shabbat
on Friday, November 23, 2012 at 7:30 pm
Congregation Sha’ar Zahav
Led by Martin Rawlings-Fein
290 Dolores Street, San Francisco, California
website: https://www.facebook.com/events/522290277798588/
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San Jose, California
Will be holding a Transgender Day of Remembrance event
on Sunday, November 25, 2012 at 6:00 – 10:00pm
at the Billy DeFrank Ballroom
938 The Alameda, San Jose, CA 95126
Billy DeFrank LGBT Community Center http://www.defrank.org

My reading for the raising of the trans flag: 
Prayer for Transgender Day of Remembrance by Rabbi Reuben Zellman

"God full of mercy, bless the souls of all who are in our hearts on this Transgender Day of Remembrance. We call to mind today young and old, of every race, faith, and gender experience, who have died by violence. We remember those who have died because they would not hide, or did not pass, or did pass, or stood too proud. Today we name them: the reluctant activist; the fiery hurler of heels; the warrior for quiet truth; the one whom no one really knew.

As many as we can name, there are thousands more whom we cannot, and for whom no Kaddish may have been said. We mourn their senseless deaths, and give thanks for their lives, for their teaching, and for the brief glow of each holy flame. We pray for the strength to carry on their legacy of vision, bravery, and love.

And as we remember them, we remember with them the thousands more who have taken their own lives. We pray for resolve to root out the injustice, ignorance, and cruelty that grow despair. And we pray, God, that all those who perpetrate hate and violence will speedily come to understand that Your creation has many faces, many genders, many holy expressions.

Blessed are they, who have allowed their divine image to shine in the world.
Blessed is God, in Whom no light is extinguished."

Resources for Transgender Day of Remembrance: 
Transgender Day of Remembrance, a guest post by Jane KindredSome resources for TDoR. A piece by Jane Kindred the author that BABN just honored at our 25th Anniversary Kickoff for her ability to write beyond gender and sexuality in her books. 

http://www.transgenderdor.org/
The Transgender Day of Remembrance was set aside to memorialize those who were killed due to anti-transgender hatred or prejudice. 

http://www.transpeoplespeak.org/
Trans People SpeakI AM: Trans People Speak is a campaign created by the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition (MTPC)

BABN Organizer
Martin Rawlings-Fein

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