Weekly Update: Trans Day of Remembrance

This coming week on November 20th, I will be joining the LGBTQ+ community and allies to honor those of the trans* and gender non-conforming community who have died as a result of targeted violence during the past year as part of “Transgender Day of Remembrance” (TDOR). Many of those we will remember are trans women and men, mostly women of color, who faced inexplicable anti-transgender violence that led to their deaths. As I read the list of those we will be remembering this year, I was struck by the descriptions of the women. Nearly all of the names are followed with “a black trans woman.” As a member of the LGBTQ+ community myself, it is another reminder of the ways in which racism so gravely affects our community, often resulting in disproportionate violence directed towards our trans* siblings of color. As a Vicar here at St. Paul, a Reconciling in Christ (RIC) congregation, Transgender Day of Remembrance reminds me that anti-racism work is part of our calling to uphold our RIC welcome statement. In addition to being open and affirming to the whole of the queer community, we are also charged with dismantling white supremacy and racism as a part of this LGBTQ+ advocacy work. As a white queer cis-woman, how I go about this advocacy may look different than that of others. This week, I invite you to spend time reading St. Paul’s Welcome Statement and reflecting on our role in this statement together, both for you and your family and also for our church community. You can find this Welcome Statement on the first page of your worship bulletin on Sunday morning. And lastly, I invite you to join me for a TDOR service at First Parish UU Church in Lexington on Sunday evening. The service is sponsored by the Arlington LGBTQ+ Rainbow Commission and the Council on Aging. You can find more information about this service below.