Every year from November 13 to 19, we recognize Trans Awareness Week in the days leading up to Transgender Day of Remembrance. I’ve always seen this week as a necessary moment of visibility and advocacy, but also as a time to remember that we are not alone.
This year, with the shadows of hateful rhetoric hanging over our community and threatening our safety and dignity, Trans Awareness Week carries even more weight. Despite the uncertainty of what comes next, this is the time to uplift and celebrate trans, nonbinary, and gender-expansive people. Our stories deserve to be seen and heard, and our stories are a part of showing the world our humanity. This is a call to action for allies to uplift us and our stories, to stand with us and fight for our right to exist, our humanity.
In today’s world where politicians campaign on messages that dehumanize and endanger transgender people, it can be hard not to feel the fear seep in. Millions of dollars are being spent to make people like us into talking points and sound bytes, to weaponize our very identities. We’re vilified in the media, and laws are drafted in an effort to stamp us out. But no matter how loud the rhetoric or how harsh the policies, we have always been here, and always will be.
Feelings of fear and anxiety are understandable when our right to live openly, to access healthcare, and to exist without threat are under attack. Even amidst that, I hope Trans Awareness Week serves as a reminder that you are not alone. Others stand with you, struggle with you, and grieve with you.
This week sets the stage for something even heavier but essential: Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR) on November 20, where we honor the lives of the trans people lost to violence this year. These events are inseparable. We need both the celebration of our existence and the solemn recognition of our struggle and those we have lost.
There’s a lot of talk about resilience in the LGBTQ+ community, and make no mistake, we are resilient. But that doesn’t mean we are unbreakable, rather that we will continue to get up and put ourselves back together.
My trans siblings, I know we are all impacted in different ways by all of the hate, and some, especially trans folks of color, are targeted more often. Let us come together as a community to support each regardless of our different trans and gender-expansive identities and across race, nationality, religion, socioeconomic status, and any other differences we see in each other.
We cannot carry these burdens alone. As community members and allies, our responsibility is to lean on each other, show up, and speak out. Whether through attending events, donating to organizations fighting for the trans community, or simply listening to the experiences of trans and nonbinary people in your life, every act of support matters. Every glimmer of light in dark times can make a difference in someone’s life.
This week, I also call on our allies to amplify our voices and push back against the misinformation, to share stories of trans joy and success without turning away from the hard truths. Together, we can face whatever comes our way, and we will continue to stand strong, no matter what.
Resources for Trans People: