Los Angeles LGBT Center Mourns The Deadliest Year On Record On Transgender Day Of Remembrance

Press release from the Los Angeles LGBT Center:

November 20, 2021

This Transgender Day of Remembrance, the Los Angeles LGBT Center especially mourns the loss of 53 known transgender and non-binary lives in the United States—making 2021 our nation's deadliest year on record for the trans community since data collection began.

“The Los Angeles LGBT Center joins transgender and non-binary people, communities, and organizations across the country in denouncing the continued, pervasive, and violent attacks against them, especially against Black and Latina transwomen,” said Center Executive Director Joe Hollendoner.

“It is critical to mourn, remember, and honor these lives lost as we address the uptick of blatant anti-trans and racist rhetoric in our communities, in media, and in legislatures nationwide. While we have made great strides in transgender rights and visibility, awareness without understanding can have deadly consequences for trans and non-binary folks.”

Hollendoner adds: “On this Day of Remembrance, the Center recommits itself to working to end the violence against the trans community and providing services and support to trans and non-binary people. We celebrate the diversity and resilience of the trans community and express our solidarity in the struggle for equality and to be treated with dignity. And we will continue the fight to ensure that LGBT people—particularly those trans and non-binary community members who are at greatest risk for violence—thrive as healthy, equal, and complete members of society. Until that day is here, our work is far from over.”

Of the 375 trans people murdered worldwide in the last year, nine out of 10 (96%) were trans women or transfeminine people, and more than half (58%) were sex workers. The average age of those murdered is 30 years old; the youngest being 13.

“Every time a transgender or non-binary person is reported killed, my heart aches. Undoubtedly, someone in our Los Angeles trans community knows at least one of these 53 known victims in the United States—and that should never be the case,” said Trans Wellness Center Program Manager Mariana Marroquin. “We need to do more than bring awareness to these vicious deaths. We must act on preventing more deaths through community education and compassion. At the Trans Wellness Center, our clients tell us the horrible acts of violence and discrimination they encounter every day, stories which many of us are very familiar with. We will continue to provide them with the support and the safe space until every trans and non-binary person is healthy, equal, and complete. Rest in power to those taken from us too soon.”

The Center provides culturally competent care and services for transgender and non-binary individuals in all of its programs and services. In addition, the following programs are among those we offer specifically for the transgender community:

• Trans Wellness Center: mytranswellness.org
• Transgender Health Program: lalgbtcenter.org/health-services/medical-services/transgender-health-program
• Transgender Economic Empowerment Project: lalgbtcenter.org/TEEP
• Trans* Lounge (Groups, Classes and Events): translounge.org
• Trans Pride Los Angeles: transpride.lalgbtcenter.org

On Saturday, November 20, at 6 p.m. PT, the City of West Hollywood's Transgender Advisory Board will present a virtual Transgender Day of Remembrance ceremony. Watch it streamed live on the WeHoTV YouTube channel at youtube.com/wehotv or via Zoom (click here to register). For more information, visit weho.org/lgbtq.

This press release was produced by the Los Angeles LGBT Center. The views expressed here are the author’s own.