On Saturday, Nov. 20, San Diego joined more than 60 American cities and eight countries in the sixth annual Transgender Day of Remembrance, which commem-orates the lives lost each year worldwide to anti-transgender violence. San Diego’s third year participating in the event began at 6:30 p.m. with a unity march from The Center, going west down University Avenue and then returning to The Center. The Center’s auditorium packed in 345 people for a memorial service and candlelight vigil honoring the 22 lives lost this year around the world. The service included video footage, music by the local group the JUUL Tones, poetry, candles, speakers and a reading of the names.

The service began with “In Memory of Rita”, a video documenting the annual event’s 1998 origins, when Rita Hester was murdered in San Francisco, to recent cases, including a tearful speech to the press given by mother of murdered transgender teen, Gwen Araujo, at the trail of Araujo’s killers, in which defense attorneys attempted to use the “gay panic defense”.

Though that trial ended in a mistrial because the jury could not concur on reasonable doubt, the Transgender Law Center has said the case will be retried as early as May.

“We ask as you listen to reflect on the lives lost, realizing that not all these deaths are people that identify as transgender,” said Tracie O’Brien, coordinator of the Transgender Health Project of Family Health Centers of San Diego. “Anyone who crosses the line of what people might consider ‘normal’ can become the victim of anti-transgender violence.”

O’Brien said 19 of this year’s reported victims were under the age of 30. “These are the babies we’ve got to save,” she said after calling up eight youths to stand at the front of the room. “These are our young adults, people of trans experience, that we need to save, because they are ourselves, they are children, they are the future.”

Speakers were quick to point out that the 22 anti-transgender murders being honored were only those that have officially been reported or categorized as a hate crime – more cases most likely exist, and an extra candle was lit for these unknown victims.

Twenty-two audience members volun-teered to read the names of this year’s reported victims; each volunteer read a few sentences detailing whatever information was available for each victim: the date and location they were found; often, but not always, their name and age; any personal information about their profession, personality or transgender identity; and a graphic description of the nature of their injuries at the time of death. One individual who did not identify as transgender was killed defending a transgender friend.

“It’s just too much; too many names,” said local civil rights attorney and Center board member M.E. Stephens, who was the evening’s keynote speaker. “…The face of terror is the awful truth that month after month we will add two names to our calendar, and year after year, we will add dozens. That is an immoral way to keep time. In the last election, we have heard lots and lots and lots about morality…. Morality is a country and a nation and a world in which this kind of death is acceptable, when it’s permitted; when those who would snuff us out and want us to feel the shame wash over us – that is immoral. That is terror. And for us, it’s unacceptable. … When we march, we march not to hear the sounds of our feet, but to claim our place….”

Deputy District Attorney David Rubin spoke to the crowd about the need to report threats and hate crimes immediately after they happen, so that police can help.

“We’ve heard a lot of names read tonight, and it is my job to make sure that nobody in this room ever is a name that we read in November,” he said. “I’m going to ask every single one of you to cooperate with me, that if you are ever the victim of any hate crime, that you will call the police and let us do our work. … You’re all valued, you’re all honored, and we’re proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with you in court if that moment should come.”

Nine anti-transgender murders have been reported in San Diego County, the most recent 13 years ago.

In closing, event co-chair Amanda Watson said that a coalition of transgender advocacy groups including the Transgender Law Center and Transgender Equality are developing language that would change California law to bar the use of sexual orientation and gender identity in hate crimes cases – an attempt to eliminate the “gay panic” defense.

The event’s planning committee included: Connor Maddocks, Amanda Watson, AJ Davis, AJ Czesky, Autumn Sandeem, Christine Cummings, Les Grant-Smith, Sue Ann Robbins, Zoë Zimsay, Brenda Watson, Gabriel Hermelin, Poly O’Lavery, Travis Curley and Sachi Wilson, with special thanks to Tracie O’Brien, John Laird, Aaron Borovoy and Julia Legaspi, among others.

Local sponsors of the event included The Center, the Imperial Court de San Diego and the San Diego-based Transgender Community Coalition.