Transgender Day Of Remembrance

Transgender Day of Remembrance of Santa Cruz County

Tuesday, November 20, 2007
5:30 – 7:30 PM
Downtown Santa Cruz, Compass Rose plaza
(in front of main US Post Office and across from Clock Tower)

Transgender Awareness, Celebration, & Remembrance
5:30 – 6:00 pm: Music & social
6:00 – 6:30 pm: Program, Guest Speakers
6:30 – 6:45 pm: Candle lighting, Remembrance, Moment of Silence
6:45 – 7:15 pm: Open Mic
7:15 – 7:30 pm: Closing performance

Guest Speakers include: Third District Supervisor of Santa Cruz County Neal Coonerty, who as Mayor of the City of Santa Cruz in the early 1990s co-authored the first GLBT non-discrimination ordinance for housing and employment, which was inclusive of Transgender persons; Terri Gilbert, who founded the first Transgender organization in Santa Cruz County; and more.

Co-sponsors as of November 15, 2007: Queer Youth Task Force; Santa Cruz Trans; FTM (female-to-male) Discussion and Support Group; Tobacco Free, LGBT, Santa Cruz County; Diversity Center; Temple Beth El; Out In Our Faith; Westside Planned Parenthood; Transgender Teen Project; STRANGE, a program of Youth Services, Santa Cruz Community Counseling Centers, Inc.; UCSC Lionel Cantú GLBTI Resource Center; and more.

The Transgender Day of Remembrance was set aside to memorialize those who were killed due to anti-transgender hatred or prejudice. The event is held in November to honor Rita Hester, whose murder on November 28th, 1998 kicked off the “Remembering Our Dead” web project and a San Francisco candlelight vigil in 1999. Rita Hester’s murder — like most anti-transgender murder cases — has yet to be solved. 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.

Info: transmarch [at] diversitycenter.org or 831-427-4004