Education

Colleges That Had Pro-Palestinian Rallies Are Holding Candlelit Vigils For ‘Transgender Day Of Remembrance’

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Several universities that held pro-Palestinian rallies around the U.S. are holding Transgender Day of Remembrance candlelit vigil events this week to commemorate transgender lives lost.

Pennsylvania State University (Penn State), Boston University (BU) and the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Pembroke are among the universities holding candlelit vigils to commemorate violence committed against transgender people, according to their websites. Penn State students held a rally in support of Palestinians in October as well as BU and multiple other universities across the nation following the Hamas terrorist attacks on Israel.

BU’s Transgender Day of Remembrance on Nov. 20 will “honor the memory of transgender people whose lives were lost in acts of anti-transgender violence,” according to the event’s website.

Transgender Day of Remembrance occurs in November annually, which is also Trans Awareness Month, according to Seattle Pride. Other months to celebrate LGBTQ identities include Pride Month in June, LGBT History Month in October and Bisexual Health Awareness Month in March.

The day is described as an “international day of action” by it’s founder Gwendolyn Smith, and was originally envisioned by the graphic designer to memorialize the murder of Rita Hester.

Transgender Day of Remembrance is officially on Nov. 20 though many universities are holding events on different days, and the day is one of 30 holidays and four months intended to celebrate LGBTQ individuals, according to Seattle Pride.

Penn’s Center for Sexual and Gender Diversity held a vigil on Tuesday to “honor the lives and memories of the people we lost to transphobic violence,” according to the university’s website.

UNC at Pembroke is hosting a week of trans celebration events including Transgender Day of Remembrance. “Transgender Celebration Week raises awareness of the transgender community through advocacy and education and celebrates those that identify as transgender, non-binary, and/or gender non-conforming,” their website reads.

Cornell University and Ithaca College are holding a joint Transgender Day of Remembrance vigil on Wednesday at a public library in New York, according to Ithaca College’s website.

A multitude of colleges have been forced to address rising antisemitism on their campuses in the past month. Harvard, Columbia University and the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) all created taskforces to address antisemitism on their campuses following anti-Israel activities on their campuses. George Washington University postponed a diversity summit in October following students lighting up buildings with pro-Hamas messaging.

Penn State, BU and UNC at Pembroke did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.