Penn State community comes together for Transgender Day of Remembrance vigil. ‘There is hope’

Flame flickers and striped flags filled the Flex Theatre of the HUB-Robeson Center Tuesday night as community members gathered for the Transgender Day of Remembrance Vigil hosted by the Penn State Center for Sexual and Gender Diversity (CSGD).

Transgender Day of Remembrance was established after the Nov. 28, 1998 murder of transgender Black woman Rita Hester in Boston. Typically observed on Nov. 20, the event was held Tuesday night to prevent conflicts with Penn State’s Thanksgiving break. The day serves to raise public awareness about hate crimes against transgender people and honor the lives of those who might otherwise be forgotten, according to the CSGD.

Pink and blue lights scattered across the dark room as H. Melt’s “Prayer for My Trans Siblings,” Keath Silva’s “A Message for Trans Kids,” and Theresa L. Soto’s “Your stories belong to you” were read aloud to teary-eyed students and staff, reminders of what the LBGTQ+ community has lost and what they have to fight for.

Between Oct. 1, 2022 and Sept. 30, 320 transgender and gender-diverse people were reported murdered, according to the Trans Murder Monitoring 2023 Global Update, the annual report of the number of homicides against trans and gender-diverse people worldwide collected by Transgender Europe (TGEU). Student workers from the CSGD read the names of the hundreds of transgender and gender-diverse people who died in the past year.

CSGD Director Sonya Wilmoth said all of their stories serve as stark reminders of the work that remains to be done in the fight for transgender rights and equality. She said Tuesday’s vigil served as “a reminder of the urgent need for change in our society” and the work that remains to be be done in the fight for transgender rights and equality.

“We are not here solely to mourn, but to draw strength from one another and renew our dedication to creating a more inclusive and accepting world,” Wilmoth said.

CSGD program coordinator Ryan Strohl, a transgender man and graduate student at Penn State, organized the vigil and said it provided him the opportunity to organize a community space for gender-diverse individuals and call allies into the room.

JT Thomas, a student staff member with the CSGD, said the vigil helped them find resilience, strength and community. Thomas, who uses they/them pronouns, said they identify as genderqueer.

“When we think about the LGBTQ community, a lot of the focus is on the G and on the L,” Thomas said. “Having spaces like this where transgender voices are elevated is really important.”

Strohl said allies can help simply by showing up to events like Tuesday’s vigil and asking questions to willing participants. He suggested the CSGD office, located in room 011 of the lower level of the HUB-Robeson Center, as one safe space to ask questions.

Despite the solemn nature of the event, Strohl said he didn’t want those who attended the vigil to leave feeling hopeless. Coming together and recognizing everyone affected helps community members keep the hope for a better future alive, he said.

“That’s what we, as a (transgender) community, need right now,” Strohl said, “hope that things can change.”

Sophie Kandler, who is also a student staff member with the CSGD, agreed.

“Dark as these days may be, there is hope,” Kandler said.

Kandler, a transgender woman and graduate student at Penn State, said Tuesday’s vigil served to honor not just those who were named, but also, “those whose names we will never know.”

“How many transgender people died and were then misgendered by the police, doctors, reporters and their families?” Kandler said. “How many took their own lives never telling a soul about the pain that dysphoria inflicted upon their life?”

According to data collected by TGEU, 94% of the 320 trans and gender-diverse people reported murdered between Oct. 1, 2022 and Sept. 30, 2023 were trans women.

As a trans woman herself, Kandler said she’s lost friends to suicide and murder. She read the name of a friend who was murdered during last year’s vigil, and said the vigil allows her to honor the friends she’s lost.

“This isn’t about me, it’s about them,” Kandler said. “I’m just honored to be a part of it.”

Kandler also highlighted the story of F.L. “Bubba” Copeland, the Republican mayor of Smiths Station, Alabama; pastor at First Baptist Church of Phenix City; and 49-year-old father of three who committed suicide last week after 1819 News — a news website once owned by the conservative think tank, the Alabama Policy Institute —published pictures of him wearing women’s clothing and makeup. Under the pseudonym Brittini Blaire Summerlin, Copeland posted photos and explicit content on social media.

“(Copeland) begged the website not to do this, but, as always, the cruelty is the point,” Kandler said. “And they doxed Brittini anyway.”

Strohl emphasized that Tuesday night’s vigil — along with future events the CSGD hosts — wasn’t just for members of the LGBTQ+ community. He said most, if not all of the events the CSGD hosts are “open to everyone” and provide those who attend with a chance to learn about different perspectives.

Kandler added that those who want to support the LGBTQ+ community can do so by introducing themselves with their name and pronouns, instead of just their name. She said speaking up for transgender people when they’re not present also helps “tremendously.”

“When I introduce myself, I say, ‘My name is Sophie, she/her,’” Kandler said.

Strohl urged those who consider themselves allies in State College to make their presence as an ally visible at Penn State.

“Students take note of who’s in the room and who’s missing,” he said. “If you don’t know something, ask questions…and be willing to learn.”

By creating a more inclusive and accepting environment, Kandler said allies provide LGBTQ+ community members with “the strength to go on when everything seems bleak.”

“You give us hope,” Kandler said about the cisgender allies who join their transgender community members in their fight for equality. “The hope that some way, somehow things will get better.”

While she emphasized uplifting trans voices, Kandler said the combination of trans and cisgender community members is especially powerful.

“We have community, but to actually heal, we need outside help,” Kandler said. “We need people to understand one basic fact above the others — that we too are human.”

TransLivesMatter hosts a collection of resources observing Transgender Day of Remembrance, including a slide show, memorial cards and a complete list of all 392 transgender people who died between Oct. 1, 2022 and Sept. 30. According to TransLivesMatter, as of Tuesday 33 transgender people have died since Oct. 1 — 26 of whom because of violence. The interactive map shows exactly where the homicides occurred.

The CSGD can be found on Org Central, Instagram and listserve. Additional resources can be found at the National Center for Transgender Equality and the Campus Pride Trans Policy Clearinghouse.