In honor of Transgender Day of Remembrance, an annual observance that honors the memory of the lives of transgender people lost due to anti-transgender violence, the University of North Dakota’s Pride Center invited UND’s campus community to write letters of support addressed to transgender youth Wednesday, November 20.
After the gathering, Jeff Maliskey, the director of the Pride Center, will deliver the letters to Point of Pride, a trans-support organization, to be distributed across the country in care packages.
“[This] came out of the idea [of] trans day of remembrance,” Maliskey said. “So, looking at the ways of how we bring awareness about the violence, [how] it’s impacting the trans community, and looking at ways that we can help and support.”
The letters’ messages provide a reminder to transgender youth that they are valued, supported, and seen.
“I stumbled across Point of Pride, and I saw, recently, that they have these letters that they send out. I’m like, ‘Well, that’d be a great opportunity for a service project that we can engage in here,” Maliskey said. “It’s not super time-consuming to write a note that’s affirming but is lifesaving [or] life-changing for someone.”
This day of remembrance is observed after the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, the nation’s largest LGBTQ+ and civil rights organization, reported at least 36 transgender deaths due to fatal violence. There may be additions to that total, as many deaths are unreported or misreported.
“Our trans youth are some of the most vulnerable, impacted folks in our nation [and] world. When we think about mental health, our trans youth are going through it,” Maliskey said. “Access to things like gender-affirming health care, resources, [and] affirming families and communities, they don’t have that. So, I think receiving a letter is that message of hope.”
In addition to writing letters of support to trans youth, the greater Grand Forks area had an opportunity to acknowledge Transgender Day of Remembrance. Later that evening, the Christus Rex Lutheran Center hosted a vigil in honor of the annual observance.
“Being visible and having spaces where people can come together in community and show support is important. When you have a community where you have that sense of belonging, you’re going to be more likely to thrive,” Maliskey said. “I think holding these types of events shows that we are a community. It shows that we care.”
The UND’s Pride Center is a campus space for LGBTQ+ life at the university. However, their programming is open to everyone.
“What we do isn’t just for the LGBTQ folks, but it’s open to everybody,” Maliskey said. “You don’t have to identify as a part of [the] community to write a letter.”
Dylan Campbell is a Dakota Student General Reporter. He can be reached at [email protected].