In the United States, more than half of all transgender and non-binary youth have seriously considered killing themselves. More than a quarter have attempted suicide.
Wichita State’s student group Spectrum: LGBTQ & Allies observed Transgender Day of Remembrance on Wednesday evening. Attendees recognized more than 400 transgender and gender non-conforming people whose lives were lost in the past year in front of the chapel on WSU’s campus.
The annual day of memorial and mourning started in California in 1999. Now, it is recognized across the country.
“This is a day of mourning and reflection and renewing our commitment to stand together against hatred and violence and discrimination,” said Madison Porter, Spectrum’s community outreach chair. “We honor those whose lives were cut short because they dared to live as their true selves in a world that has yet to fully accept them.”
Porter stressed the need to remember that despite the progress made in awareness and visibility, there is still a danger posed toward people who are transgender or gender-nonconforming.
Some of the danger can come from laws and policies; recently, there has been fear about Project 2025 amongst members of Spectrum over what its policies mean for transgender youth.
Project 2025, a document created in 2022 by members of President-elect Donald Trump’s first administration to outline goals for a second Trump term, calls for the removal of the terms “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” from “every federal rule, agency regulation, contract, grant, regulation, and piece of legislation that exists.”
It would also create restrictions on gender-affirming care, and supportive parents and health providers would be engaging in “genital mutilation” and “child abuse.”
At a rally in Madison Square Garden the week before the election, Trump promised he would “get … transgender insanity the hell out of our schools, and we will keep men out of women’s sports.”
“It makes it even more important that we have to do this in times where we are facing additional adversity,” Porter said. “If we don’t do things like this, then nobody will. We have to stand up and be seen in order to just slow things down.”
While Trump said he hasn’t been involved in Project 2025’s development, his election has raised concerns amongst Spectrum members regarding the potential dangers these proposed laws and policies may present. Porter said everyone must play a role in ensuring the safety of transgender people.
“We must recognize that the fight for trans rights is not only the responsibility of trans people, but rather it is the responsibility of every decent human being,” Porter said. “When one group’s humanity is denied, all of humanity is diminished.”
At the ceremony, Spectrum executives read a list of names of those who died in the past year, and audience members were encouraged to place a pebble in a jar of water to represent each person. A moment of silence was held in memoriam of those who had passed on.
In the wake of increased numbers of suicide and mental health crises, Spectrum invited speakers from Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), GLSEN, M-Care, The Center of Wichita and the Wichita Two-Spirit Society to discuss the services that they offer both LGBTQ+ students and community members.
Several speakers stressed the importance of reaching out to the community when struggling, and for allies to help in whatever ways they can. Amanda Mogoi, the owner of M-Care, said that allies should use their voices to help, as it is often safer for them to do so.
Brent Kennedy, the chairman of the Center of Wichita and the Wichita Two-Spirit Society, said that those who were pioneers and fought back should also be celebrated during the Transgender Day of Remembrance.
“It sucks and it’s going to get worse,” Kennedy, an anthropology lecturer at WSU, said. “We can’t stop the fight. We mourn those who were in pain, but we celebrate those who fought and we join them in that fight. I’ll definitely remember them tonight.”
