A board displays photos and information about Trans Day of Rememberance at the Luann Dumner Center for Women on Nov. 20. (Sabrina Thompson/The Crest) 
A poster displays the names and photos of transgender people who have died. (Sabrina Thompson/The Crest) 
A board displays information about Transgender Day of Rememberance. (Sabrina Thompson/The Crest)
Transgender Day of Remembrance on Wednesday, Nov. 20, was an opportunity to honor the lives and memories of transgender individuals who have died due to violence. The day was first recognized in 1999 after the death of Rita Hester, a Black trans woman, and is now observed globally. More than two decades later, police have not identified Hester’s murderer.
On this day, people also celebrate the achievements the transgender community has made in the face of adversity, as well as offer support for transgender people.
Transgender identity-based violence
In the U.S., “at least 36 transgender and gender-expansive people have been killed,” according to the Human Rights Campaign — while noting that “data collection is often incomplete or unreliable when it comes to violent and fatal crimes against the trans community.” Challenges with identification and investigation led some organizations, such as Human Rights Watch, to report figures as underestimated.
In 2024, over 500 anti-LGBTQ+ bills were introduced, and over 40 passed into law, according to the Human Rights Campaign, highlighting a need for support within LGBTQ+ spaces.
Globally, 350 transgender people were killed in 2024, up from 321 in 2023, marking a “significant increase,” according to the annual Transgender Murder Monitoring Report. More than 5,000 gender-diverse people were killed in the past sixteen years, according to data from Trans Europe and Central Asia.
On campus
The LGBTQIA+ Faculty and Staff Association welcomed people to the Luann Dummer Center For Women on Wednesday evening to remember and celebrate transgender community members.
The event started by acknowledging the importance of trans people at the university and in the center. After a small group discussion, people shared their experiences with the larger group, mostly focusing on student experiences at St. Thomas.
Some people shared feelings that professors weren’t doing enough to affirm transgender students. Others shared personal stories about being excluded from spaces or observing that former students had left the university because they felt they didn’t belong.
“We share all of these experiences in our hearts,” Hugh Smeltekop, a professor and member of the LGBTQIA+ Faculty and Staff Association, said.
Smeltekop said that as a person of faith, it is upsetting when students share these experiences.
“It pains me that Catholic social teaching is about inclusion and loving our neighbor and loving the people who are around us, but the experiences some students talked about don’t reflect that.”
The event came to a close with minutes of silence to remember transgender people who have been hurt by violence.
“We need to keep doing better,” Smeltekop said. “We’ve made a lot of progress, but we have lots left to do.”
Smeltekop emphasized the importance of creating an environment where everyone feels welcome. He gestured toward the filled room: “There’s a real sense that this is important to people.”
Resources
Crisis 988 Lifeline: call or text 988
The Trevor Project: call 866-488-7386 or text 678678
Community connections (non-crisis): Trans Lifeline
More crisis hotlines and mental health resources: HRC | Mental Health Resources in the LGBTQ+ Community
Sabrina Thompson can be reached at thom4836@stthomas.edu.