The One Where Vic Blogs About: Transgender Day Of Remembrance

This year marks the 16th anniversary of the Transgender Day of Remembrance.

Being a transgender, gay man of color, living in the South, I am perpetually aware of the danger my life is constantly in if the wrong person takes offense to my living my truth. While I was emotionally hurt that me living my life, and transitioning into the man I was born to be, led to me being banned from attending Thanksgiving dinner with my biological family because there are those who have a problem with it, I am aware that there are those who have to deal with the daily, hourly, weekly, and yearly fear that someone out there, that every person they meet, will see them as being an "abomination" to get rid of.

Unfortunately, transgender women of color are more likely to be beaten and killed than other transgender women, and more than trans* men. Many TDOR events do focus on trans* women, but there are trans* men who are beaten and sometimes killed as well. (Advocate.com Honors TDOR) (Trans* Men Op-Ed Pieces on Violence Against Trans* Men) (Trans* Man Murdered in Tokyo)

Today, let us honour and have a moment of silence for our trans* brothers and sisters who lost their lives in this past year. The following information was gathered from Advocate.com:

Image from Advocate.com

 According to Advocate.com, there have been 23 murders of transgender persons in 2015 in the U.S.:

1. Keyshia Blige (33 years old), fatally shot in Aurora, Ill., on March 7, 2015.
2. Tamara Dominguez (36 years old), repeatedly run over by a vehicle in Kansas City, Mo., on August 15, 2015.
3. Kandis Capri (35 years old), fatally shot in Phoenix, on August 11, 2015.
4. Amber Monroe (20 years old), fatally shot in Detroit, on August 8, 2015.
5. Ashton O’Hara (25 years old), stabbed to death and run over by a vehicle in Detroit, on July 14, 2015.
6. Shade Schuler (22 years old), cause of death unknown, found dead in a field in Dallas, on July 29, 2015.
7. K.C. Haggard (66 years old), stabbed multiple times in Fresno, Calif., on July 24, 2015.
8. India Clarke (22 years old), shot multiple times in Tampa, Fla., on July 21, 2015.
9. Mercedes Williamson (17 years old), beaten to death in Rocky Creek, Ala., on May 30, 2015.
10. Penny Proud (21 years old), fatally shot in Tremé, New Orleans, on February 10, 2015.
11. Taja Gabrielle DeJesus (36 years old), stabbed multiple times in San Francisco, on Feburary 8, 2015.
12. Bri Golec (22 years old), stabbed to death in Akron, Ohio, on February 13, 2015.
13. Lamia Beard (30 years old), fatally shot in Norfolk, Va., on January 17, 2015.
14. Papi Edwards (20 years old), fatally shot in Louisville, Ky., on January 9, 2015.
15. Elisha Walker (20 years old), beaten to death in Smithfield, N.C., on August 14, 2015.
16. Jasmine Collins (32 years old), stabbed to death in Kansas City, Mo., on June 23, 2015.
17. London Chanel (21 years old), stabbed to death in North Philadelphia, on May 18, 2015.
18. Ty Underwood (24 years old), fatally shot in North Tyler, Texas, on January 26, 2015.
19. Yazmin Vash Payne (33 years old), stabbed multiple times in Los Angeles, on January 31, 2015.
20. Kristina Gomez Reinwald (46 years old) stabbed to death in Miami, Fla., February 16, 2015.
21. Zella Ziona (21 years old), fatally shot in Montgomery Village, Md., October 15, 2015.
22. Maya Hall (27 years old), killed by police in Fort Meade, Md., March 30, 2015.
23. Kiesha Jenkins (22 years old), fatally shot in Philadelphia, October 6, 2015.

That number increases as you venture out into the rest of the world.

Image from Advocate.com

In Brazil, there were 56 murders of transgender persons.

1. C.N. Alves de Matos Jr. (21 years old), stabbed and dismembered in São Paulo, Brazil, on September 25, 2015.
2. L.A. de Souza (22 years old), found in landfill with knife in neck in Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil, on September 30, 2015.
3. Waleska Rayala (21 years old), stabbed 27 times in Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil, on September 2, 2015.
4. Paulinha, shot in head and chest in Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil, on September 8, 2015.
5. Flower (39 years old), beaten to death in Parintins, Amazonas, Brazil, on August 27, 2015.
6. V.H.A dos Santos (25 years old), shot multiple times in Campos dos Goytacazes, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on August 24, 2015.
7. Patricia (29 years old), cause of death unknown, body thrown into a bush in Santa Terezinha, Piracicaba, Brazil, on August 3, 2015.
8. Unidentified (45 years old), fatally shot in the head in Alta Floresta d’Oeste, Rondônia, Brazil, on July 25, 2015.
9. Gabi (26 years old), beaten to death in Valparaíso de Goiás, Brazil, on July 19, 2015.
10. Erika Aguilera (25 years old), fatally shot in the back in Dourados, Brazil, on July 16, 2015.
11. India Nascimento (29 years old), beaten to death in Pernambuco, Brazil, on July 12, 2015.
12. L.R.O. Dorta (26 years old), decapitated in Pernambuco, Brazil, on July 12, 2015.
13. Vanessa Calaça (27 years old), stoned to death in Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil, on July 12, 2015.
14. Unknown woman, fatally shot multiple times in Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil on June 30, 2015.
15. Unknown woman, stabbed in the neck in Cacoal, Rondônia, Brazil, on July 5, 2015.
16. Bruna J. Mendes (27 years old), fatally shot multiple times in Itapebi, Bahia, Brazil, on June 29, 2015.
17. Sidney Araújo Claudino (19 years old, fatally shot in the chest in Dourados, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil, on June 23, 2015.
18. Laura Vermont (18 years old), beaten to death by police in São Paulo, Brazil, on June 20, 2015.
19. Kauane da Silva (35 years old), fatally shot in the head in Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, on June 13, 2015.
20. Unknown woman, unknown cause of death, buried in a shallow grave in Serra, Espírito Santo, Brazil, on June 9, 2015.
21. Kelly Silva (31 years old), stabbed in neck and arm in Uberaba, Minas Gerais, Brazil on June 9, 2015.
22. Andréia Amado (29 years old), fatally shot in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, on June 4, 2015.
23. Carol Melo (30 years old), strangled to death in Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil on June 3, 2015.
24. Priscilla da Silva (23 years old), fatally shot in Dois Riachos, Alagoas, Brazil, on May 30, 2015.
25. Barbara Sodre (29 years old), stabbed to death in Sergipe, Brazil, on May 25, 2015.
26. Jean Waltrick (27 years old), shot multiple times in the head in Lages, Santa Catarina, Brazil, on May 23, 2015.
27. Vandressa Vinnitt, fatally shot in Realengo, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on May 18, 2015.
28. Ticiane Abravanel (21 years old), fatally shot in Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil, on May 18, 2015.
29. La Monique de Roma (43 years old), fatally shot in Butantã, São Paulo, Brazil, on May 14, 2015.
30. Unidentified woman, fatally shot in Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil, on May 3, 2015.
31. Stefanny, fatally shot in Caucaia, Ceará, Brazil, on April 30, 2015.
32. Job Rodrigues da Silva (46 years old), fatally shot in Porto Velho, Rondônia, Brazil, on April 17, 2015.
33. Unidentified woman, beaten and strangled to death in Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil, on April 17, 2015.
34. Bruna (47 years old), fatally shot in Vitória, Espírito Santo, Brazil, on April 16, 2015.
35. Bruna Quércia (15 years old), fatally shot in Vila Velha, Espírito Santo, Brazil, on April 15, 2015.
36. Victória Camargo (29 years old), fatally shot in Venâncio Aires, Brazil, in April 13, 2015.
37. Bruna Michele (20 years old), beaten to death in Belo Horizonte, Brazil on April 13, 2015.
38. Vanessa Ganzaroli (18 years old), stabbed multiple times in Petrolina, Pernambuc, Brazil, on April 3, 2015.
39. Debora, stoned to death in Mogi Mirim, São Paulo, Brazil, on April 2, 2015.
40. Lotinha, stabbed to death in Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil, on March 29, 2015.
41. Adriana (22 years old), shot multiple times in Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil, on March 22, 2015.
42. Bianca Araujo (21 years old), fatally shot in Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil on March 20, 2015.
43. Michael Lucas de Almeida Reginald (13 years old), beaten, stabbed multiple times in Araraquara, São Paulo, Brazil, on March 18, 2015.
44. Natália Ferraz (21 years old), shot multiple times in Caçapava, São Paulo, Brazil, on February 27, 2015.
45. Ygor Fernando Oliveira Santos (20 years old), shot multiple times in Marechal Deodoro, Alagoas, Brazil, on February 27, 2015.
46. Keity (23 years old), stabbed 10 times in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, on February 24, 2015.
47. Lara (16 years old), stoned to death in Parauapebas, Pará, Brazil, on February 22, 2015.
48. Unidentified woman, shot multiple times in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, on February 20, 2015.
49. Raíssa (19 years old), stabbed multiple times in neck and chest in Campina Grande, Paraíba, Brazil, on February 16, 2015.
50. Capitú Santos (31 years old), stabbed to death in Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil, on February 16, 2015.
51. Joyce Akira (teen), shot multiple times in Mangabeira, Joao Pessoa, Brazil, on February 8, 2015.
52. Pata (35 years old), strangled to death in Macapá, Amapá, Brazil, on February 7, 2015.
53. Didinha (18 years old), shot multiple times in Vitória de Santo Antão, Pernambuco, Brazil, on February 1, 2015.
54. Unidentified woman, fatally shot in Lorena, São Paulo, Brazil, on March 17, 2015.
55. LÉO (26 years old), fatally shot in Vitoria da Conquista, Bahia, Brazil, on January 26, 2015.
56. Piu da Silva (25 years old), beaten, shot multiple times in Nilópolis, Rio de Janeiroa, Brazil, on January 22, 2015.

In the rest of the world the number of reported deaths were fewer than in the U.S. and Brazil, but even one death is one too many.

Image from Advocate.com

 There were 11 deaths of transgender persons in the rest of the world:

1. Nephi Luthers (20 years old), fatally shot in Georgetown, Guyana, on July 21, 2015.
2. Diosvany Muñoz Robaina (24 years old), stoned to death in Pinar del Río, Cuba, on April 26, 2015.
3. Unknown (41 years old), severe head and neck trauma in Alicante, Spain, on July 21, 2015.
4. Unidentified woman, fatally shot in Peshawar, Pakistan, on April 6, 2015.
5. Unidentified woman, fatally shot in Peshawar, Pakistan, on April 6, 2015.
6. Diana Sacayán (39 years old), stabbed multiple times in Buenos Aires, on October 11, 2015.
7. Marcela Chocobar (26 years old), dismembered and burned in Río Gallegos, Santa Cruz, Argentina, on September 4, 2015.
8. Francela Méndez, stabbed to death in Las Palmeras, Sonsonate, El Salvador, on May 31, 2015.
9. Fernanda “Coty” Olmos (59 years old), stabbed and suffocated in Santa Fe, Argentina, on September 25t, 2015.
10. Yoshi Tsuchida (38 years old), found dead with face skinned off inside his apartment in Fussa, Japan, on November 12, 2015. 
11. Vanessa Santillan (33 years old), beaten to death in London, England, on March 28, 2015.

While today is the day we all set aside to remember these people who lost their lives in this past year, let's remember them always.

-Vicktor Alexander