Press release
Each year, on the 20th of November, people worldwide take time to remember those lost to anti-transgender violence. This year, Batavia will host GLOW OUT!’s annual vigil and ceremony – and add a community meal to the program – for the event’s 25th anniversary.
“We hosted four last year, one in each of the GLOW counties,” said Sara Vacin, GLOW OUT! Executive Director. “This year we’re holding an art exhibition after the vigil, and a meal to honor and celebrate our trans elders.”
This year’s vigil will begin at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, November 20 at the Old Courthouse at 7 Main Street in Batavia. A free meal of turkey, potatoes, vegetables and dessert will be served in the Church fellowship hall (300 East Main) at 7 p.m. This space will also host a display of art submitted in remembrance and support of transgender and nonbinary people.
Broadly, the word “transgender” means anyone whose gender identity or expression is outside of societal norms, while “nonbinary” means a person who does not identify with either male or female – or may experience fluidity in that regard. Some transgender or nonbinary people might take medications or have surgeries to affirm their gender; others might not. In the US, transgender and nonbinary people are bullied, homeless, incarcerated, and targets of violence at much higher rates than their cisgender (non-trans) peers. These experiences contribute to the additional truth that transgender and nonbinary people are more likely to consider, attempt, and complete suicide than cisgender people.
But the event – and transgender advocacy in general – is about more than mourning. “It’s important for us to support and celebrate and love our trans siblings and friends while they’re alive,” Vacin said. “We can give people their flowers now!”
First observed in 1999, the International Transgender Day of Remembrance began after Rita Hester, a Black transgender woman, was killed in her Boston apartment. Annually, the remembrance ceremony is held in acknowledgment of the friends and loved ones taken by anti-transgender violence. As transphobia intersects with sexism and racism, a large proportion of victims (every single year) are trans women of color – specifically, Black and Latina. Rita Hester’s murder remains unsolved.
Wednesday’s event is in partnership with SUNY Brockport’s Pride Association, and will include prepared remarks and a list of those lost to anti-transgender violence in the US since November 2023, the period recognized for the International Transgender Day of Remembrance.
As of this writing, 28 transgender or nonbinary Americans have been killed since last November. While this is a decrease from last year (32), and following a thankfully downward trend (51 in 2021; 41 in 2022), many official lists are incomplete because of the misreporting and underreporting of these crimes. Some have been disrespected in death by using their “dead name”, the name they were assigned at birth. As we all know, one person lost to hateful violence is too many.
“This event is to remember those lost, yes,” said Vacin, “but it’s also to come together in love and support of those we are still fighting for – and will continue to, every day.”
The vigil begins at 6 p.m. on Wednesday November 20 at the old Batavia Courthouse.