Content warning: Contains reference to murder and violence.
To mark Trans Day of Remembrance, TENI (Transgender Equality Network Ireland) will host a special service dedicated to the trans community on Saturday, November 22.
The service, which welcomes all, will be hosted by the Unitarian Church and will take place at 6.30pm. In a post on Instagram, TENI expressed their thanks to the city centre church for hosting the annual service.
“We are grateful to the Unitarian Church for once again hosting the service and their continued support of our community, as we come together to remember those we have lost through the years,” they wrote in the caption.
Transgender Day of Remembrance is a global event in the LGBTQ+ calendar, and marks the end of Transgender Awareness Week. This year, the official Transgender Day of Remembrance will take place on Thursday, November 20.
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The day has been observed annually since it first began in November 1999, and its primary purpose is to mourn those lost to transphobic violence and to push for justice for the trans community worldwide.
As GLAAD reports, the first Transgender Day of Remembrance was set up by activist Gwendolyn Ann Smith as a vigil to honour Rita Hester and Chanelle Pickett, two trans women who were murdered in the 1990s. Hester was killed in her home in Boston in 1998, and while her family have fought for justice for over 25 years, her killer has not been identified.
Pickett was killed in November 1995 in Haverhill, Massachusetts. William C. Palmer was found guilty of assault and battery in connection with Pickett’s death and was sentenced to two years in prison and five years of probation.
Smith cited Hester and Pickett’s death as the inspiration for establishing Trans Day of Remembrance, saying that she was surprised that so many of her friends had forgotten about their deaths so quickly in the years that followed.
If you have been affected by this story or are looking to reach out to someone for support or advice or just to talk, there are numerous services available for LGBTQ+ people, listed below, and many offer instant messaging support.
Samaritans
SpunOut.ie
LGBT Helplines
The Switchboard
Dublin Lesbian Line
Belong To
TENI
LGBTQI Pavee Point
Man2Man
HIV Ireland
Aware
Pieta House
Jigsaw
Mental Health Ireland
Dublin Rape Crisis Centre
Garda Confidential Line
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