November 20th is Trans Day of Remembrance, a day dedicated to remembering the lives of trans and gender-diverse people lost to anti-trans violence. It is a day of grief, reflection, and solidarity, but also a day to recognize the resilience and brilliance of trans communities who continue to exist, resist, and thrive in the face of systemic harm.
As trauma therapists, I know that remembrance is never just about the past. Trauma reverberates through bodies, families, and communities across time. Each trans life lost is not an isolated tragedy, it is part of a broader pattern of violence rooted in transphobia, anti-Black racism, misogyny, colonialism, and ableism. We are invited not to only to grieve, but to name these systems of harm and hold them accountable.
Trans Day of Remembrance is not simply a ritual of mourning. It is also a call to action. To honour trans lives means committing to a world where trans people, especially trans youth, are protected, affirmed, and free to live safely and authentically.
Right now, trans kids are at the center of public debate, often targeted by policies that restrict access to healthcare, affirming education, sports, and safe spaces. From a public health perspective, this is not just a political issue, it is a life-or-death issue. Research shows that when trans youth are affirmed in their identities, rates of depression, anxiety, and suicidality decrease dramatically. Conversely, rejection, discrimination, and systemic barriers place trans kids at significantly higher risk for trauma and mental health struggles. Protecting trans rights is not optional, it is an urgent matter of community well-being and survival.
Trauma-informed care reminds us that healing requires safety, affirmation, and connection. For trans people, especially children and youth, safety is built not only in therapy rooms, but in families, schools, healthcare systems, and policies that affirm their right to exist. To deny those protections is to perpetuate trauma at both individual and collective levels.
This Trans Day of Remembrance, may we grieve the lives we’ve lost, honour the resilience of trans communities, and renew our commitment to protecting the most vulnerable among us. Protecting trans rights is protecting life. It is protecting mental health. It is protecting the possibility of a future where trans kids can grow into adults who no longer have to fear erasure or violence.
Remembrance is not passive, it is active. It is a responsibility to bear witness, to interrupt harm, and to create a world where trans lives are not just remembered in death, but celebrated in life.
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