UK Happenings

Trans Day of Remembrance Honors Victims of Anti-transgender Violence

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Nov. 18, 2015) — In recognition of the annual Trans* Day of Remembrance on Nov. 20, the University of Kentucky Office of LGBTQ* Resources is collaborating with other university units to raise awareness about issues faced by transgender individuals in the U.S.

On Thursday, Nov. 19, the Office of LGBTQ* Resources and the Violence Intervention and Prevention Center are collaborating for a Trans* Day of Remembrance lecture and discussion. This year's event features Marisa Richmond, a trans* activist and scholar from Tennessee. Attendees will also focus on trans* individuals who have been killed by anti-trans violence in the past year. The public event begins at 5:30 p.m. Thursday in the UK Athletics Auditorium in William T. Young Library.

“This collaboration between the Office of LGBTQ* Resources and the VIP Center will highlight important information about the experiences of many trans* folks in general and trans* folks of color more specifically. It will also point out some startling statistics about anti-transgender violence that often goes overlooked by mass media and even many lesbian and gay activist circles,” said Lance Poston, director of the UK Office for LGBTQ* Resources.

Richmond has garnered much attention, both for her lobbying, and for her trailblazing life as a transgender woman. A tireless advocate for transgender equality, Richmond is the founder and former president of Tennessee Transgender Political Coalition. Before the founding of TTPC, she also founded a support group for transgender individuals in 1992, the Tennessee VALS, a group still vibrantly supporting the LGBT community.