Press release<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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!\u2019s annual vigil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis year\u2019s Trans Day of Remembrance is especially heartfelt,\u201d said Barb Morrissey, a GLOW OUT! Board Member. \u201cAny loss is difficult, but…Sam Nordquist, so close to here, it feels heavier.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This year\u2019s 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\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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 \u201cdead name\u201d (the name they were assigned at birth). As we all know, one person lost to hateful violence is too many.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Nordquist\u2019s remains were discovered in a field in Canandaigua on Valentine\u2019s Day. Multiple people have been accused in his gruesome death, which has earned international reporting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The word \u201ctransgender,\u201d 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOur list includes those who died by suicide,\u201d Morrissey said. \u201cA lot of them are young. When you\u2019re facing danger, people in your life don’t support you, or you can\u2019t get a job \u2013 suicide rates are high \u2013 not from being trans, but from transphobia.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But the event \u2013 and transgender advocacy in general \u2013 is about more than mourning. \u201cLoving people is violence prevention,\u201d said Morrissey. \u201cBeing there for your friend, your child, respecting their name and pronouns \u2013 it can save lives.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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\u2019s murder remains unsolved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The vigil begins at 6 p.m. on Thursday November 20 at the Batavia First Presbyterian Church.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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!\u2019s annual vigil. \u201cThis year\u2019s Trans Day of Remembrance is especially heartfelt,\u201d said Barb Morrissey, a GLOW OUT! Board Member. \u201cAny loss is difficult, \u2026<\/p>\n