Statement on Transgender Day of Remembrance - 2018

November 20, 2017
Auburn, AL
For Immediate Release

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Just a few weeks ago I was notified that two transgender people I know had died by suicide. It is always a hard message to receive, and as a former clinician and as an advocate, I have grown accustomed to receiving it. As much as I have grown used to the kick of hearing a loved one is gone, I still find myself heartbroken over the loss of such a vibrant and unique life.

These two beautiful people are not the only ones we lost this year. Over 250+ transgender, gender queer, nonbinary, and gender nonconforming/expansive individuals fell victim to anti-transgender physical and social violence in 2017. Whether they died by their own hand or by the hand of another, their death is a senseless tragedy and a symptom of the toxic culture of misogynistic transphobia in which we live.

There is absolutely no reason why these deaths should have occurred. Yet year after year we come to this day and learn of the horrors of the past 365. 

These victims often die after experiencing intense and violent torture. Reading the list of victims and how they died is nauseating. One from 2016, really stands out to me: A woman in Brazil who was mutilated and tossed in a landfill as her final resting place. I continue to be haunted by the image of that finality in the life of a person I didn't, and will never, know.

The sad truth is that these deaths will continue until our allies come to the point that they will no longer stand idly by and do nothing in response to our suffering, our pain, and our fear. Wearing a pin, putting a sticker on your door or car, sharing a supportive meme is not enough. We need strategic, passionate, and firm action.

The time for putting off helping until another day has passed. Transgender people cannot put off their lives and their safety until it is convenient or safe to live them. To be a true, dedicated ally means to do the utmost to help those in need. I plead with you to continue supporting the transgender people in your community. Please speak out in the face of violence and oppression, work to change discriminatory and non-inclusive laws and policies, and provide financial support to organizations, like ours, which work tirelessly to support transgender people every day and everywhere.

While today is a day of mourning when we remember the 250+ people who lost their lives this year for courageously embracing their authentic self, it is also a day of resolve: We stand resolved to continue our fight toward reclaiming our identities from fear, boldly confronting hate, and compassionately teaching our friends and family what it means to be transgender.

If you are transgender, gender queer, nonbinary, or gender nonconforming/expansive, or you love someone who is, know that we stand by your side as you continue to journey.

You are loved, you are worthy, and you are not alone.

Darcy J. Corbitt-Hall She/Her/Hers
President and CEO