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This November marks the 26th Annual Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR), an international observance that honors the lives of transgender and gender-nonconforming individuals lost to violence each year. TDOR was founded in 1999 by trans advocate Gwendolyn Ann Smith in honor of Rita Hester, a transgender woman who was brutally murdered in 1998. The original vigil commemorated all the transgender people lost to violence after Rita Hester’s death and began an important tradition for the trans community. This annual observance serves as a poignant reminder of the extreme prejudice, discrimination and violence against trans and gender non-conforming individuals that persists to this day.

According to the Human Rights Campaign, at least 27 trans and gender-nonconforming people have been killed in the U.S. this year alone, and the death toll is likely higher as violent deaths are often under or misreported. This year’s victims are between the ages of 14 and 54. Of these victims, approximately 74% were people of color, 48% were Black trans women, and 37% were misgendered or incorrectly named by police or the press following their death.

In the U.S., transgender people are four times more likely to be the victims of violent crimes than cisgender people, according to the Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law. People of color are even more disproportionately represented within this group.

On a day of grief and sadness, HCAI’s Youth & Family Director Tony Ferraiolo tries to remain positive for young members of the community, “We must be honest with today’s youth and let them know the reality for trans and non-binary people. We need to remember the people we have lost and use that loss to fuel our strength to move forward and stand up against hate and build a safer, more caring world.”

As someone who works with LGBTQ+ youth every day, Ferraiolo is adamant in his efforts to stay hopeful and push for progress; taking the time to mourn but supporting those in the community who fight to live their lives authentically and stand up to stigma and discrimination.

Today and every day, Health Care Advocates International chooses to celebrate the lives of trans individuals and offers a few ways you can support the community on this somber day:

• - Say their names

• - Honor their lives

• - Commit to advocacy

• - Continue to educate yourself

If you are considering suicide, or need help with mental health issues, dialing 988 will connect you with a local crisis center that provides free and confidential emotional support 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Trans Lifeline, a crisis and peer-support hotline for the transgender community, is available at (877) 565-8860. For a full list of resources, visit HCAI’s website. If you need additional guidance in a non-emergency situation, do not hesitate to call HCAI at 203.345.0404.