By ANDREW DEMILLO
Updated 12:09 AM EST, November 20, 2024
Wednesday is Transgender Day of Remembrance, which focuses on trans people who have lost their lives because of violence. Here is what to know.
What is Transgender Day of Remembrance?
Transgender Day of Remembrance is marked every Nov. 20 and began in 1999 to honor Rita Hester, a trans woman who was killed in Massachusetts.
The day marks the end of Transgender Awareness Week, which is used to raise public knowledge about the transgender community and the issues they face.
The Williams Institute at UCLA Law estimates there are more than a million and a half transgender people in the U.S. ages 13 and older. And it says transgender people are over four times more likely than others to be victims of violence.
Candlelight vigils, memorials and other events are held to mark the day. The Human Rights Campaign also released its annual report on deaths of transgender people in conjunction with the day.
International Transgender Day of Visibility, which is designed to bring attention to transgender people, is commemorated in March.
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