The Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDoR) was commemorated on Wednesday, Nov. 20 by the Queer Action Club (QAC). Students and staff participated in games such as a ring toss and a scavenger hunt and viewed art by transgender artists in order to support the transgender community at the high school, educate others on transgender issues and remember those who have been harmed because of discrimination.

Junior Benjamin Nicholas, a member of the QAC, said having the event helps allows transgender people to feel affirmed in their identities and helps those who may feel alone by highlighting the supportive transgender community at the high school.

“Having these outward displays of trans joy and pride in trans work and even just acknowledging that trans people exist and they’re valid is a really important thing,” Nicholas said. “It’s about representation, letting these transgender youth see themselves around them and feel like they have a community. And if these communities are hidden, then first of all, it can be a lot harder for people who are experimenting with their gender identity to come out as trans and accept themselves. And second of all, it can just make things a lot more hostile for trans people.”

Social studies teacher Elise Brown said the timing of this event is important because of the struggles the transgender community has recently been facing. Brown said attacks from social media and from those in government should encourage everyone to help and protect the trans community.

“Trans Day of Remembrance is a day for honoring people who have lost their lives to harassment, violence, the violence committed by ordinary people, the violence committed by police against trans folks, especially trans women of color,” Brown said. “The more we can uplift the folks in our community who share those identities, the more we can imagine a world that is safer for all kinds of people.”

Junior Lydia Touloumtzis, a member of the QAC, said while the TDoR celebration was for the trans community to celebrate their identities and remember those who have suffered because of discrimination, it was also an event for those who might not be part of the LGBTQIA+ community to stand in solidarity with trans people.

“I think this is an important day to teach cis[gender] people about the struggles that trans people go through, especially if they don’t have any trans friends or know many trans people well,” Touloumtzis said. “There’s not much widely known information on that.”

Brown said that a theme of the event was that trans suffering coexists with trans joy. Brown said that recognizing that both of these things are true at the same time is a key part of understanding the nuanced perspective of trans people.

“There was something I saw on Instagram that was like, ‘This is Trans Week of Awareness, but trans people deserve more than your awareness,’” Brown said. “And what that means to me is remembering that the trans experience is about self-discovery, joy, community care and the depth of love that people in this community have for each other and for the hope that we have.”