gaywrites:

Today is the annual Transgender Day of Remembrance. 

At least 25 trans people have been murdered this year in the United States alone – internationally, it’s in the hundreds – and the majority of those we’ve lost were transgender women of color. Transphobia is not merely alive and well; it is thriving and militant. It has taken too many of us, of our brothers and sisters and siblings, away far too soon. 

November 20 is set aside as a day to mourn the transgender people who have been lost to violence and hatred; it’s a day for grief and reflection. It’s also a reminder of the work we must do every other day of the year. Our knowledge of and commitment to the fight for transgender justice should not only come up each November 20. I’m talking especially to my fellow cis people: we have to do the work. All. Year. Long. It’s never been more important. 

Today, we mourn. Every other day of the year, we fight like hell. Here are a few ways to get started: 

Here’s a list of actions you need to take to help transgender women of color survive. 

Here is a map of TDoR events taking place around the world. 

Here’s information about a few fantastic groups working on behalf of trans rights who could use your time, your attention and your donations: the Trans Women of Color Collective, the National Center for Transgender Equality, Trans Student Educational Resources, Gender Spectrum, and the Sylvia Rivera Law Project. (There are so many more, so reblog and add to the list.) 

Here’s a website dedicated to books by trans women. 

Here’s information about the Trans Lifeline, a suicide hotline operated by and for trans people. The number, should you need it, is (877) 565-8860 in the United States and (877) 330-6366 in Canada. (They received nearly ten times their usual call traffic after the election, so if you have money to donate, they could use it, too.) 

Here’s a great read from Janet Mock on why TDoR is not the be-all-end-all of activism around trans issues. 

And here are some always-relevant affirmations and wisdom from Laverne Cox. Bookmark them for any day of the year.