International Transgender Day of Remembrance has been observed across the world since 1999, created after the brutal murders of Rita Hester and Chanelle Pickett. Transgender activists Gwendolyn Ann Smith, Nancy Nangeroni, and Jahaira DeAlto created TDOR as an annual reminder to honor individuals who have been lost to anti-transgender hatred in a world completely unkind to transgender lives.
Technically, there is no singular database detailing the number of transgender people lost each year. It is impossible to have a fully accurate statistic since, even in 2025, many transgender people do not openly identify themselves out of safety concerns. Additionally, it is the sole ethical responsibility of one’s loved ones for their transgender identity to be included in police reports, media releases, and obituaries since the dead cannot advocate for themselves.
The two most comprehensive databases relevant to Transgender Day of Remembrance are Remembering Our Dead and the Trans Remembrance Project.
- ROD is an international database that includes available data dating back to 1970. The site distinguishes between several acts that lead to transgender death – including targeted violence, suicide, medical malpractice, and police brutality.
- TRP was recently created by Advocates for Transgender Equality and highlights the stories of those lost. The Trans Remembrance Project only includes individuals within the United States, but gives more depth to their lived experiences than the memorial cards included on ROD.
Remembering Our Dead estimates that 276 transgender people died unfairly from January 1st, 2025, to November 20th, 2025. 204 deaths were the direct result of anti-transgender violence, 53 were via suicide, 2 occurred due to medical malpractice, and 4 died in police custody. The remaining 13 are uncategorized due to a lack of public information.
44 of the 276 deaths occurred in the United States, accounting for 16% of the global rate, and places the USA as the second most deadly place to be transgender after Brazil. Despite claiming to be the most prosperous country in the world, the United States has a long-standing history of being devastatingly deadly towards transgender individuals throughout the years that Remembering Our Dead has collected data.
Knowing this information, what is the best way to honor the dead? Hundreds of individuals are unfairly taken each year, regardless of the number of vigils held. How can one take meaningful action?
If you have not done so yet this year, read through the lives of names and stories lost within the past year. Remember that each person was more than a mere name; they were a three-dimensional person with loved ones, hobbies, and passions.
- Parker Savarese
- Elisa Rae Shupe
- Aubrey Dameron
- Tahiry Broom
- Sam Nordquist
- Ervianna Johnson
- Amyri Dior
- Linda Becerra Moran
- Jordan “JJ” Maye
- Charlene Cook
- Katelyn Rinnetta Benoit
- Kaitoria Le’Cynthia Bankz (“Kai”)
- Norah Horwitz
- Kelsey Elem
- Shy’Parius Dupree
- Karmin Wells
- Charlotte Fosgate
- Jonathan Joss
- Tessa June
- Jax Gratton
- Laura Schueler
- Hope Lyca Youngblood
- Emma Slabach
- JJ Godbey
- Christina Hayes
- Gabrielle Nguyen (“Cam”)
- Lily-Dawn Harkins
- Kia-Leigh Tabitha Roberts
- Kamora Woods
- Arty Cassidy Beowulf Gibson
- Nathaniel Pabón Cruz (“Nata”)
- Dream Johnson
- Blair A. Sawyer
- Rosa Machuca
- Kasí Rhea (“Kaeyy Holmes”)
- Onyx Cornish
- Aurora Pellegrina (“Alexa”, “Luna”)
- Robyn James Post
- Blake Sturm
- Blaze Aleczander Balle-Mason
- Scarlett
- Tiara Love Tori Jackson
- Lia Smith
- Marisol Payero
Reach out to LGBTQIA+ organizations and groups near you to find information on community vigils. Around the world, people organize gatherings for TDOR to emphasize the reality that the dead may be gone, but they will never be forgotten. Even if you do not live in an area hosting a TDOR vigil locally, there are several public events hosted online.
With each passing year, the list of dead grows exponentially, and it becomes easier to fall into grief or fury that nothing changes. While we live in a time where transgender people are more easily documented and identifiable for data compared to decades ago, we still live in a society that demonizes transgender identity. For each transgender person remembered authentically as who they were, there are others who are misrepresented by their obituaries and media reporters. The TDOR list continues to grow just as hate and bigotry festers, leading others to commit acts of grotesque violence or pass anti-transgender legislation to make our existence illegal.
How will you make this TDOR different from previous years? How do we keep ourselves alive and fighting against inequality? Troubled times make it easy to give into fear and grief, which is why suicide and mental health crises are at an all-time high amongst transgender people.
The political rise of Donald Trump normalized hate in a manner that was completely alien and unprecedented for the time. He invited people to spew as much rage and hatred as possible during rallies to congeal his primary base – which was a similar tactic to previous populist leaders. Yet Republicans are hypocrites: the MAGA movement centers on the dehumanization of the “inferior,” but Republicans are the first to cry foul when they are refused compassion such as when Trump was diagnosed with COVID-19 or Charlie Kirk was murdered at a rally degrading transgender people.
We live in a society that incentivizes anger – it gets the most attention and the world has no shortage of things to be outraged over. If you must be angry, be furious over the lives that have been unfairly taken and take action. It is exhausting to witness cisgender allies tear up at vigils and fail to do anything more meaningful than light a candle. Vigils are important and we need to be remembered, but greater action is necessary to curb the ever-growing list; there are thousands of ways to take action if you take the time to look.
Look up your elected officials. Whether they represent your interests in Congress or sit on a local township board, reach out regarding their support of transgender rights.
When communicating with federal officials, emphasize phone calls and in-person visits. Emails and written letters are overwhelmingly unread and unanswered. All constituents have the right to call their official’s office and discuss issues. Depending on their schedule, you may not speak to your official directly, but all phone calls are answered by assistants who are required to report high-interest matters to your representative. While this process can be exhausting, it’s a highly effective form of lobbying that anyone can do – which is why conservatives use phone lobbying so readily.
Organizing a vigil or related event for Transgender Day of Remembrance? Don’t let the event be entirely somber. Use the weight of TDOR to move people to action, remind them that they have a right to be angry in a world where their transgender siblings are no longer alive.
Advocate for programs that prevent transgender-related violence. Emphasize the importance of funding programs and resources – the current administration has taken numerous steps to eliminate funding that benefits LGBTQIA+ people. Money makes the world move, whether it’s more job opportunities or improved training curricula for professionals.
Donate towards causes that combat anti-transgender violence. Even if you lack money to put forward, you can always donate time by volunteering with local grassroots projects. Find registered LGBTQIA+ nonprofits near you, or donate to national organizations like A4TE, ACLU, GLAD, and Lambda Legal.
Learn and practice bystander intervention. The majority of individuals find themselves unable to act in times of crisis because they assume someone else ought to help. It’s difficult to do the right thing, but that’s why it’s worth doing.
Lastly, remember that resilient survival is its own act of rebellion. In a county that condemns transgender identity, each day you continue to survive is another day you live in spite of their agenda.