A DAY OF COMMUNITY GRIEF & GRATITUDE
TDORR
TRANSGENDER DAY OF
REMEMBRANCE AND RESILIENCE
Words of Peace, Reading of Names, and Community Reception
4805 Edgemoor Lane, Second Floor
Bethesda, MD 20814
Memorial: 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Reception: 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM
Thursday, November 20th—Join us for a powerful Trans Day of Remembrance and Resilience (TDORR) MEMORIAL, RECEPTION, and DAY OF COMMUNITY POWER, where we honor the memories of transgender people whose lives were lost in acts of violence this year.
What is TDOR?
From GLAAD: the first Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR) was started in 1999 by transgender advocate Gwendolyn Ann Smith as a vigil to honor the memory of Rita Hester, a transgender woman killed in 1998. The vigil commemorated all the transgender people lost to violence since Rita Hester’s death, and began an important tradition that has become the annual Transgender Day of Remembrance. In a 2012 article with Huffpost, Smith is quoted as saying, “the right to simply exist is first and foremost. With so many seeking to erase transgender people — sometimes in the most brutal ways possible — it is vitally important that those we lose are remembered, and that we continue to fight for justice.”
Why the 2nd “R”?
While not entirely widespread (yet), the MoCo Pride Family uses the moniker “TDORR” to underscore gratitude as essential to our celebration of transgender lives. On the Transgender Day of Remembrance, we honor those we have lost and those that continue to live in the face of violence, oppression, and all other forces turned against our community. Transgender people are brave — we will survive, and we will do so with our ancestors and martyrs in our hearts. For our community, this is a day not just of somber Remembrance, but also of strength and Resilience. Even as we grieve, we will not lose our joy.
What can we expect from a TDORR event?
At the MoCo Pride Center offices, we’ve curated an inspiring evening featuring trans leaders and activists speaking on the importance of trans visibility, rights, and justice. We’ll highlight intergenerational and interfaith programming that fosters healing, storytelling, and mentorship between trans youth and elders. Finally, we conclude with a vibrant reception showing that trans joy persists, with live performances from local trans and gender-expansive artists.
We affirm that trans joy, power, and stories matter—today and always!!!
ATTENDEE REGISTRATION
ATTENDANCE IS FREE, BUT REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED TO KEEP OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS SAFE!
TRANS DAY OF REMEMBRANCE AND RESILIENCE
SPONSORS
