APPLETON — Hate Free Outagamie, a grassroots advocacy organization focused on queer and trans rights, will host a vigil Nov. 20 in Appleton to honor Transgender Day of Remembrance.
The vigil will take place at 7 p.m. at Houdini Plaza in downtown Appleton. Students for a Democratic Society at Lawrence University and Green Bay Anti-War Committee will be in attendance as event co-sponsors.
Transgender Day of Remembrance began in 1999 on the one year anniversary of the murder of Rita Hester, a transgender woman who was killed in 1998.
TDOR occurs each year on November 20 and is a recognition of the transgender, nonbinary, and gender non-conforming individuals who were killed in the past year. As of today, at least 29 transgender, nonbinary, and gender non-conforming people have been murdered in the United States in 2024, according to the Human Rights Campaign, according to the news release.
The Trans Day of Remembrance vigil will include speeches from local activists and community members, educate attendees on ways to be more involved in activism, and organizers hope to build supportive, community connections. In the wake of the election outcome, many in the LGBTQIA+ community are understandably worried about what this means for their future, including access to healthcare, marriage equality, and safety. The group is here to provide hope and advocate for change through direct action.
At the vigil, Hate Free Outagamie will also be announcing the launch of a campaign to establish Outagamie County as a Trans and Nonbinary Sanctuary County. They are currently gathering signatures via petition and will present this to the county board. The petition is available online at this link.
