Transgender Day of Remembrance Photos and Speech

Here are some of the photos from the Transgender Day of Remembrance.

The first photo is us marching to the state Capital building. We are right in front of the Bushnell Theater when this picture was taken.

This photo was taken at the MCC Chapel as I was reading my speech.

Here is a link to a short (30seconds) video clip from the Ten O’clock news.

And this is my speech that I gave that night….

All of us here tonight are activists. We are activists because we took the time come here tonight to remember those who were murder this year by showing that we care.
There are other ways in which we can show that we care and one of the ways we can show it is by helping others. We have all in one way or another come “Out of the Closet” and we remember what it was like when we for the first time told others that “I am Trans”. We can share that knowledge to help others who are trying to come out. We can be there for them if they need a shoulder to cry on or in sharing their joy. Those of us who have gone out in public can be there for our brother and sisters by offering a hand to guide them and lead the way.
We are a rich diverse group and we can use that diversity in helping others. Some of us have struggled with our families; some of us have fought to keep our jobs, and some of us have fought to stay alive. We can use that knowledge to help others who face the same battles to help guide them.
We do not have to be out there on the frontlines banging our drums; we can help in other way. The theme for tonight is Love Transcends and it does, it can build bridges. It can build a bridge between those who are a just starting out on their journey and those who have progressed further along on their own journey.
One way we can help is by volunteering. We have heard Robin talk about True Colors and their mentoring program. They also have a conference every year for GLBT Youth and they always need mentors and volunteers to help them at the conference. There is the Hartford Gay and Lesbian Health Collective and also the Suicide Prevention Hotline. There are so many places out there where we can help and share our knowledge and love.
I know that I have found that volunteering has been both rewarding and enriching. Knowing that in some small way I have helped out others has given purpose to my life. One of the greatest moments in my life was when I was standing in line for our reservations at City Steam and a woman came up to me and said; “You probably do not remember me. But you spoke in my class at University of Hartford and because of what you said that night I was able to help my client when she came out as transgendered.” Can you imagine what it felt like to hear those words?
Volunteering is so easy to do, all you have to do is pick up the phone and call, just say “What can I do to help?” and by doing that you can affect generations to come, just by that one simple act.