First things first hello and thank you for stopping by. I figured today would be a good time to explain what The Transgender Day of Rememberance is. As I’m aware that not everyone will know. In short it’s a little like the Rememberance Sunday here in the UK. Only instead of remembering everyone who died in the first and sencond world wars, you remember transgender people who have passed.
The service I attended last Sunday seemed to focus on those who had passed as a result of suicide, but this isn’t always the case. Basically it’s a time to remember those who have died because of their gender identity be it by their own hand or somebody elses. It can also be used as a time to remember those who live in fear or who face discrimination and abuse as a result of being transgender.
The day in question was first established by transgender advocate Gwendolyn Ann Smith. She did this in memory of Rita Hester a trans woman who was sadly killed in 1998. The first one was held in 1999 and they are now held annually on or around the 20th November every year.
Long time no see! A lot has happened since the last time I posted. And honestly, I can’t promise that this is it, as in a full comeback. There’s a lot going on and life is insane right now (but then when is it not?). But I’m thinking I’ll try and give it a go. But there will need to be some changes. Firstly, I can’t post every day, I just can’t do it. But I figured twice a week could work, we’ll see. Right now, I’m thinking of posting every Wednesday and Sunday, but like I said, this is pretty tentative right now.
So what brought this on? Well, the short answer is I really miss it. I miss writing and posting and coming up with ideas. But at the time of writing, it is actually The Transgender Day of Rememberance here in the UK (20th November).
I had made a note of the fact that there was a remembrance service going on at a local church and then completely forgotten about it (typical I know). And I didn’t remember until my phone reminded me about 30 minutes before. I was still in my PJ’s and had less than 15 minutes to get ready, but I made it with time to spare. And yes, I am proud of myself for making it. I very nearly didn’t go.
But I did and it was, well, wonderful. Everyone was so friendly and welcoming, and the service itself was nothing short of amazing. Yes, there were elements of religion, but then it was being hosted by a church. They also gave out free tea and cake. Homemade cake, I might add. But the most important thing was this clearly wasn’t a token gesture, the speakers really cared. And the things that were said were beautiful, meaningful, and authentic. They had a slideshow with the names of people who had passed and a map of the world. At one point in the service, you could go up to it and light a candle for either someone missing or for a country or just as an act of remembrance. It was such a simple but magical gesture. I found it really touching. There were also two ladies, one on the piano and the other playing a violin. Again, you could just feel the love and the authenticity in the room. This wasn’t some tick box exercise; they truly cared.
The whole thing was very inspiring and uplifting in a way I didn’t expect. I’ve been feeling pretty bad lately, and this event really helped. There was just so much love in the place and respect. Something which sadly you don’t see often these days. Anyways, I found it really inspiring, so I took the order of service with me and highlighted core words or phrases which resonated with me. I plan to write articles and poems inspired by them.
So does this mean you’ll only be writing about Trans stuff now. For the forseeable future the answer is probably yes as that is what has inspired me to start writing again. However I already have ideas for things outside of this area so we will have to wait and see for the long run. A word of warning though I do see myself going in a more political direction and obviously that won’t be for everyone.
Anna's Creative Moments 