Press release
Every November 20, people worldwide take time to remember those lost to anti-transgender violence. This year, the Batavia First Presbyterian Church will host GLOW OUT!’s annual vigil.
“This year’s Trans Day of Remembrance is especially heartfelt,” said Barb Morrissey, a GLOW OUT! Board Member. “Any loss is difficult, but…Sam Nordquist, so close to here, it feels heavier.”
This year’s ceremony will begin at 6 p.m. on Thursday, November 20 at the Batavia First Presbyterian Church at 300 East Main Street. The ceremony will take place on the front lawn before retiring inside for light refreshments. GLOW OUT! is again partnering with SUNY Brockport’s Pride Association for the event, which includes prepared remarks, music, and reading a list of those lost to anti-transgender violence in the US since November 2024, the period recognized for the International Transgender Day of Remembrance.
Sam Nordquist, a 24-year-old Black trans man, is one of at least 25 transgender or nonbinary people killed in the US since last November as of this writing. While this is a decrease from last year (32), data are incomplete due to improper reporting 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.
Nordquist’s remains were discovered in a field in Canandaigua on Valentine’s Day. Multiple people have been accused in his gruesome death, which has earned international reporting.
The word “transgender,” in its broadest sense, means anyone whose gender identity or expression is outside societal norms. Some transgender people take medications or have surgeries; others do not. In the US, transgender people are bullied, homeless, and targets of violence at higher rates than cisgender (non-trans) people. These realities contribute to statistics that transgender people are more likely to consider, attempt, and complete suicide than cisgender people.
“Our list includes those who died by suicide,” Morrissey said. “A lot of them are young. When you’re facing danger, people in your life don’t support you, or you can’t get a job – suicide rates are high – not from being trans, but from transphobia.”
But the event – and transgender advocacy in general – is about more than mourning. “Loving people is violence prevention,” said Morrissey. “Being there for your friend, your child, respecting their name and pronouns – it can save lives.”
First observed in 1999, the Day of Remembrance began after Rita Hester, a Black transgender woman, was killed in her Boston apartment. Annually, the ceremony is held in memory 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.
The vigil begins at 6 p.m. on Thursday November 20 at the Batavia First Presbyterian Church.