Well, let me tell ya, this Transgender Day of Remembrance thing, it’s a big deal, ya know? It’s on November 20th every year. Transgender Day of Remembrance 2023 Canada, that’s what we’re talkin’ about.
This day, it’s for rememberin’ folks, transgender people, who got kilt, ya know, murdered, just for bein’ themselves. Ain’t that somethin’? People just livin’ their lives, and someone takes it away ’cause they don’t understand, or maybe they just plain hate. It’s a sad, sad thing.
They say this day started a long time ago, back in 1999, by some lady named Gwendolyn Ann Smith. She wanted to remember a woman named Rita Hester. And now, it’s a whole thing, all over the world, even here in Canada. People get together, light candles, say some words, just to show they care. They call ’em vigils.
- They have these vigils all over Canada.
- People come together to remember.
- It’s a way to show support.
This year, 2023, it’s the 25th anniversary, a big one. A quarter of a century, that’s a long time to be rememberin’ and still havin’ the same problems. You’d think things would get better, but seems like some folks just don’t learn. They keep hurtin’ and killin’ for no good reason.
They talk about “anti-transgender violence,” sounds fancy, but it just means hurtin’ someone ’cause they’re transgender. Two-Spirit folks, trans folks, non-binary folks, they all get lumped together, ya know? It ain’t right. They’re just people, like you and me, tryin’ to live their lives. But they face all sorts of troubles. Discrimination, that’s a big one. And poverty too. Hard to get a job, hard to find a place to live, when people look at you different.
There’s another day too, called Transgender Day of Visibility. That’s in March. That’s about celebratin’ transgender folks, showin’ the world they’re here and they ain’t goin’ nowhere. But this day, November 20th, this is about rememberin’ the ones we lost. The ones who didn’t make it.
I heard tell of a person named Marsha P. Johnston. They lost their life too. It’s important to remember these folks, learn their stories. It helps us understand, ya know? And maybe, just maybe, it’ll help us stop the hurtin’.
Transgender Day of Remembrance Canada is a time to reflect. A time to think about what we can do to make things better. We gotta protect these folks, support ’em. They shouldn’t have to live in fear. Nobody should.
These vigils, they happen everywhere, not just in big cities, but in small towns too. People gatherin’, holdin’ candles, sayin’ prayers, singin’ songs. It’s a powerful thing, seein’ all those people comin’ together. It gives you hope, ya know? Hope that maybe, someday, things will change.
This ain’t just about transgender folks, it’s about all of us. It’s about treatin’ each other with respect, with kindness. It’s about seein’ the person inside, not just what’s on the outside. It’s about learnin’ to love, instead of hate.
So, on November 20th, take a minute. Light a candle, say a prayer, think about the transgender folks who lost their lives. And then, think about what you can do to make the world a better place, a safer place, for everyone. ‘Cause that’s what really matters, don’t it?
This Transgender Day of Remembrance in Canada and everywhere else is a reminder that we still got work to do. A lot of work. But if we all work together, maybe we can make a difference. Maybe we can stop the violence. Maybe we can make sure that everyone, no matter who they are, can live their lives in peace and dignity. That’s the hope, anyway.
