Local transgender support group holds vigil for 25th annual Transgender Day of Remembrance

APPLETON, Wis. (WBAY) – In honor of the 25th annual Transgender Day of Remembrance, an Appleton-based support group called Hate Free Outagamie organized a vigil and rally at Houdini Plaza to honor the victims of suicide and anti-trans violence.

The vigil was held at Houdini Plaza in Appleton and included speeches from community members and activists, education for participants on engaging in local activism, and a focus on hope and direct action in advocating for change in light of the presidential election.

Transgender Day of Remembrance began in 1999 Hello Rita Hestera transgender woman who had been murdered a year earlier. It is used to recognize transgender, non-binary and gender non-conforming people who have died in the last year, as well as those who have committed suicide.

Members of Hate Free Outagamie say they have started a legal process to have the county recognized as a sanctuary county for transgender and non-binary people. They started a petition to present to the county board, which you will find here.

“Our strength is our unity and our refusal to accept the divisions imposed on us. The system is afraid of us because it knows that when we stand together, we are unstoppable,” said Drew Thibodeaux of Hate Free Outagamie.

According to the Human Rights Campaignin 2024, at least 29 transgender, non-binary and gender non-conforming people were murdered in the US.