Ahead of Transgender Day of Remembrance on Thursday, November 20, Advocates for Trans Equality, a national organization, released a report honoring the 58 known transgender people who have died in the United States over the past year.
First held in 1999, Transgender Day of Remembrance was initially intended to mourn those transgender people lost to violence. The first organizers memorialized Rita Hester, killed in November 1998 in Boston, and Chanelle Pickett, murdered in November 1995 in Watertown, Mass.
Since that first memorial service, cities and regions throughout the world have adopted November 20 as a day to commemorate transgender and nonbinary individuals who have died — whether due to murder, suicide, or natural causes.
In many cases, activists call for greater legal protections for transgender people or demand accountability for police and news media who regularly interact with or report on the deaths of transgender people, who are often misidentified or misgendered in death.
“As a national organization led by and for trans people, we carry both the responsibility and the honor of remembering those we’ve lost,” Bahari Thomas, director of public education at Advocates for Trans Equality, said in a statement. “As we observe Trans Day of Remembrance, we continue to do the work of advocacy and demand an end to violence against our community.
“Right-wing extremists are endangering our democracy and our very right to exist,” Thomas continued. “Trans people — especially Black trans women — continue to bear the brunt of discriminatory policies, political scapegoating, and violence. These forces are interconnected and deadly. Trans people deserve more than remembrance; we deserve the chance to live full, joyful, and self-determined lives.”
Advocates for Trans Equality’s “Remembrance Report,” which includes brief profiles and eulogies, was compiled from various sources, including news outlets, feedback from LGBTQ organizations, and community members.
However, even those who wrote the report acknowledge that the information is likely incomplete, as anti-transgender violence often goes unreported, or victims are not necessarily identified as transgender by police or media. Many activists posit that the number of transgender people who have died is much larger than reported.
This year’s report memorializes 27 U.S. individuals killed by violence, 21 who committed suicide, and eight who passed away from natural causes. The cause of death is unknown for two individuals listed in the report — one a transgender man, the other nonbinary.
Of the 27 deaths attributed to violence, more than three-quarters of the victims were transgender women, while 11% were transgender men, and another 11% were nonbinary. Sixty-three percent of those in the report were Black, 26% white, and 11% Latino or Latina. Those statistics align with past analyses finding that Black transgender women are the most likely to become victims of anti-trans violence.
Among those who committed suicide, two-thirds were transgender women, 19% nonbinary, and 14% transgender men. Suicide was much more prevalent among white individuals. Many who lost their lives to suicide skewed significantly younger, with 62% of victims younger than 24.
“This report is not just a record of loss — it is a call to action,” Thomas said. “Every name represents a life that mattered. They were artists, dancers, writers, computer scientists, students, parents, friends, and much more. The work to end anti-trans violence begins with honoring the truth: that trans people deserve to be seen in their full humanity and live long, safe, and authentic lives.”
The strangest thing Pixie Windsor ever sold was a stuffed cat.
“I was like, oh, my god, I can't believe I sold a dead cat,” laughs the longtime proprietor of Miss Pixie’s Furnishings & Whatnot. “But it was early on, when I wanted to be just as weird as I could possibly be. Selling that cat -- I mean, that guy moved to New York, and every once in a while he’ll send me a picture. He goes, ‘Fred is still around.’ I think his story was he always wanted a pet but didn’t want to have to take care of it, so there you go!”
Pixie adds she also “sold the big taxidermied groundhog that they used for the Groundhog Day celebration at Dupont Circle.” She has long since moved away from selling stuffed animals at her antique store, known for its eclectic tchotchkes, offbeat art, and gorgeous vintage furniture sourced from regional auctions and estate sales.
On Monday, November 10, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected former Kentucky county clerk and same-sex marriage opponent Kim Davis' appeal of a lower court's decision against her -- including a petition demanding that the court revisit and overturn its landmark ruling legalizing same-sex marriage.
The nation's highest court denied a writ of certiorari, which would have signaled its intention to review Davis' case -- and the 2015 Obergefell v. Hodgesdecision, which struck down state-level bans on same-sex marriage. It would have taken four justices to agree to hear Davis' challenge.
Capital Pride Alliance Board President Ashley Smith has stepped down, effective October 18.
Smith was elected board president in 2018, succeeding longtime leader Bernie Delia, who passed away in 2024.
In a brief emailed statement to Metro Weekly, Capital Pride Alliance confirmed Smith’s resignation, saying the organization was recently "made aware of a claim" regarding Smith but offered no details about the nature of the claim or the circumstances surrounding his departure.
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