On Monday, November 20, following Transgender Awareness Week, the Cathedral Church of All Saints will be open for prayer, candle lighting and reflection in honour of Transgender Day of Remembrance.
This service will be led by The Right Reverend Sandra Fyfe, Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. Music will be led by Dr. Neil Cockburn, Director of Chapel Music at University of King's College, Halifax.
Transgender Day of Remembrance is a day to memorialize those who have died as a result of transphobia. The day was founded to draw attention to the continued violence directed towards transgender people. There will be information from around the world on the lives lost this past year as a result of transphobia. This display is based on the work of Trans Murder Monitoring.
(Trigger Warning: violence and transphobia)
The 2023 Trans Murder Monitoring data shows that 320 trans and gender diverse people were reported murdered between October 1, 2022, and September 30, 2023.
These numbers are just a small glimpse into the reality on the ground. Most cases worldwide continue to go unreported. Those that are reported receive very little attention. The Trans Murder Monitoring data does not include all reported cases worldwide, as not all trans and gender diverse murder victims are identified as trans or gender diverse in reports of their death. These figures must therefore be understood in the specific social, political economic, and historical contexts in which they occur.