Today marks the national Transgender Day of Remembrance, or TDOR. In recognition, the Michigan State University Gender and Sexuality Campus Resource Center, or GSCC, joined other campus organizations to host a fire-lit vigil ceremony at Erickson Kiva to honor transgender lives lost due to violence.
Transgender Day of Remembrance is observed annually, since its creation by Gwendolyn Ann Smith in 1999. Smith is a transgender rights activist who hosted a vigil for Rita Hester, a transgender woman who was murdered the year prior. Since then, Nov. 20 has been observed as a day to commemorate the transgender lives lost at the hands of transphobia.
“TDOR serves as a time to honor the family taken from us due to transphobic violence,” the MSU Student Life and Engagement website reads.
TransAction and Transcend are two on-campus organizations centered around providing a safe space and community support for transgender students.
The GSCC provides a list of resources available for transgender students. The resources include assistance with restrooms and housing, health and counseling, transition support, athletics, discrimination and bias incidents, selective service and name and gender marker changes through the University as well as legally.
The GSCC also shares a number of support groups, health and educational resources.
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