University Of Maine At Augusta Will Observe Transgender Day Of Remembrance On November 20

Press release from the University of Maine at Augusta:

November 16, 2020

UMA Augusta and Bangor campuses will fly the Progress Pride Flag in solidarity & support of BIPOC & LGBTQIA+ Communities honoring those lost to anti-transgender violence.

In honor of Trans Day of Remembrance (TDOR), WICCD and Rainbows Across UMA has presented the Bangor and Augusta campuses with Pride flags to be flown annually for one week. We stand against violence inflicted upon transgender people and offer support and solidarity to BIPOC and LGBTQIA communities commemorating their losses.

We chose the “Progress Pride” flag, designed by Daniel Quaser, to honor the history of the original Pride rainbow flag, and also update it to emphasize the needs and experiences of brown, black, and transgender queer people who are often disproportionately impacted by violence in this struggle.

Thank you to the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council at UMA for their full endorsement of this event. With these flags, we hope to increase the visibility of queer issues at UMA, and we charge our colleagues to take action as diversity agents in higher education. We also invite you to visit the UMA Rainbows Facebook page for more information, collaboration, and support.

Learn more about TDOR from GLAAD and PFLAG. For more information about ways to support local Maine initiatives to support transgender Mainers, please visit mainetransnet.com.

This press release was produced by the University of Maine at Augusta. The views expressed are the author's own.