Social violence begins with social oppression. Houston transgender people are routinely denied employment, social services and medical care. Emergency homeless shelters routinely refuse to house transgender people. Almost half of all Houston transgender people are victims of violent attacks.

“We cannot change what happened. The only thing we can do is to learn from the past and to realize what discrimination and persecution of innocent people means. I believe this: it’s everyone’s responsibility to overcome prejudice.” – Otto Frank, Father of Anne Frank

The Houston Transgender Day of Remembrance gives transgender people a chance to honor the memory of those whose lives were cut short through ignorance and hate while bearing witness to the suffering that ignorance and hate always inspires. Remembrance affords members of the transgender community an opportunity to publicly acknowledge their humanity.