What is Transgender Day of Remembrance [TDOR] and what is its significance?
Trans Day of Remembrance began in 1999 by Transgender advocate Gwendolyn Ann Smith to honor the memory of Rita Hester, a Trans woman, who was killed in 1998. This continued on as a tradition since then and is now known as Transgender Day of Remembrance.
The day has evolved into a day of observance to honor the lives of all Transgender and Gender-Diverse folks who have lost their lives to anti-transgender violence and hate crimes each year. Overwhelmingly, Trans women of color – especially those who are black and indigenous – have been targeted and murdered.
We come together on this day to memorialize the lives lost and to state clearly and unapologetically that Trans Lives Matter.
Dr. Stephanie Dykes
Dr. Stephanie Dykes is the executive director of institutional effectiveness at North Seattle College. She has over 30 years of work experience in education and business. Dr. Dykes earned her Ph.D. in educational research from the University of South Carolina, where she also earned at Master of Arts in Teaching. Dr. Dykes completed her undergraduate work in history and business administration from Clemson University.
Dr. Dykes has spoken at gender and women’s studies conferences and institutional research conferences across the United States and in Canada. Dr. Dykes has spoken on transgender issues at colleges and universities across the United States. She sings bass with the Seattle Men’s Chorus, and she is the father of a 27 year old son.
Check out our Spotify playlist highlighting Trans centered podcasts about trans experiences, healing and TDOR, as well as trans identifying artists and their music here.
Spotify Podcasts About TDOR:
Spotify Trans Musicians Playlist:
Live Zoom Performance By Dogwood (Zoom link below)
Who is Dogwood?
Dogwood (they/them) is a PNW-born queer nonbinary hedge witch, musician, and drag artist.
Hailing from the hedge and loam of Seattle’s undergrowth, Dogwood aims to weave historical and wax hysterical in the old-new traditions of mountain men, shantymen, and their fellow men as they tromp acro’st both ancient myth and accidental malady.
They have performed or had their work featured at such events as RAPTURE, Norwescon, Steamposium, FaerieWorlds, Clockwork Alchemy, PantheaCon, and DragonCon, as well as many local and national venues.
For additional information and to stream their latest album, head over here: https://dogwood.bandcamp.com/
Zoom Performance at 12pm-1pm PST: HERE
NSC Student Leadership Blog 