sfemonster:

Today- November 20th- marks the 13th annual Transgender Day of Remembrance. It’s a day when we stop to remember those that are no longer with us simply because they were themselves. This day means a lot to me.

It frustrates me that hatred like this still exists, it frustrates me that simply being who we are can lead to violence and fear and pain and death, it frustrates me that learning can be met with such resistance, it frustrates me that anger and hatred can still trump patience and understanding. 

I will always maintain that there is nothing- nothing- more special and worthy of celebration than being true to yourself, and expressing that truth.  Our bodies and our brains have so much more to offer than a binary can ever do justice, and no person should ever feel that their life is in danger simply because they are expressing and defining themselves with their terms, and not ones foisted upon them by a system that does not accommodate them. 

To every trans*-person on the planet: I love and support all of you, and I hope you never have to hurt and never have to fear. I hope that in the future we can look on this day as a way to remember the shameful, misplaced hate of the past, while celebrating the world we have made where no one ever has to fear and hide and hurt.

To those we have lost: I’m sorry that today we still live in a world where such violence exists.  I’m sorry it came to this.  I’m sorry you’re not still here.

Please take a moment to stop and think about those that our family lost- but also to be thankful that we are still alive to remember them.   We are still here, we are still together, we have the power to educate, to learn, to change, and to make the world a place where this doesn’t happen.  We can do this.

To learn more about the Transgender Day of Remembrance and to find vigils in your area, please visit TransgenderDOR.org

Sfé this is beautiful.