Transgender Day of Remembrance is a national holiday celebrated honoring the memory of those killed because of transphobic violence in the past year.

The vigil is meant to bring together the community to memorialize and educate campus, said Denzel McCampbell, program assistant for MSU’s LBGT Resource Center.

According to the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, the national event began in 1988 after Rita Hester, a transgender activist, was killed.

As a part of the vigil, MSU Trans*Action Co-Chair Michelle Brack, along with others from the student organization’s executive board, read off the names of people who died worldwide this year because of transphobic incidents.

“It’s really impactful to hear specific names and especially the ages of people who died,” Brack said. “There are some people on the list as young as thirteen and sixteen.”

Brack said the day also serves as an opportunity to remember and address gender crimes.

“Once, we had an 18-month-old baby who was beat to death by his father because the baby boy was acting too feminine,” she said.

Students gathered around as hundreds of names were read off during the presentation.

Music education junior Emily Pelky said she came out Wednesday night to show her support for the transgender community.

“Being in an LGBT community, you’re marginalized enough and being in the trans community you’re in an even smaller group.

You’re being marginalized within the marginalized community so showing support is really necessary,” Pelky said.

Zoology freshman Alyse Maksimoski said she also came out to show support for her friends who have been discriminated against because they are transgender.

She said these types of events show that these individuals aren’t alone and that others are always there for them to make it easier.

“There are tons of people who are here to support them,” Maksimoski said. “They are who they are even if their family and friends chooses not to support them.”