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 On Saturday, November 20th, we join communities around the world in honoring Trans Day of Remembrance. 

“This day began in the late 1990s to commemorate the life of Rita Hester, an American trans woman, who was murdered in Boston in 1998. Her murder remains unsolved. The violence of her death and the lack of media and community attention to her murder, led to candlelight vigils and memorials that have spread around the world and that honor thousands of other trans people who have died, committed suicide, or been subjected to violence. Canada is by no means exempt from this sad record.

Trans Day of Remembrance is also a day to commit and recommit to ending transphobic violence and discrimination. 

We as members of the church need to confess how we have contributed to the situation faced by trans people. How have our thoughts, words and deeds, and the things we have done and left undone allowed this violence and discrimination to continue? How often have we failed to see the trans people in our families, our parishes, and our communities as worthy of our concern, support, respect and love? What steps can we take as individuals and parishes to ensure safety for trans people? How can we educate ourselves about gender identity and expression in ways that change the church, our societal institutions, and our personal understanding of gender and identity?” (Anglican Diocese of New Westminster)

We at St. Stephen’s stand with the Anglican Diocese of New Westminster in our commitment to become better allies to trans, non-binary and Two-Spirit people. We continue to ask ourselves how we in the church can chart a different path of love, living out the grace of God.

For more information, please see:

https://www.queerevents.ca/tdor

https://cupe.ca/event/trans-day-remembrance