hankyoreh

Event attendees march down a street in Seoul’s Itaewon neighborhood. (Kang Chang-kwang/The Hankyoreh)

Nov. 20 marks Transgender Day of Remembrance, an occasion for commemorating those who lost their lives to anti-transgender violence. The history of the date in November traces back to a trans woman named Rita Hester, who was killed in a hate crime on Nov. 29, 1998.

Along with the South Korean branch of Amnesty International, Korean organizations advocating for LGBTQ rights such as Transgender Liberation Front and Solidarity for LGBT Human Rights of Korea organized a rally in Itaewon, located in Seoul’s Yongsan District, where attendees called for the swift passage of an anti-discrimination act and remembered and honored trans people who have died. Attendees also resolved to live their best lives with the trans people who are still here.

One attendee holds up a sign reading “Trans lives matter” while marching down a street in Itaewon. (Kang Chang-kwang/The Hankyoreh)

During their rally, attendees said that “yet again in 2021, we have said goodbye to countless friends, acquaintances, family members, and companions who were trans,” and that “trans people still aren’t guaranteed the right to go about their daily lives afforded to others.”

Another day commemorating trans people is Transgender Day of Visibility, which falls on March 31.

Members of Parents and Families of LGBTAIQ People in Korea speak at the march (Kang Chang-kwang/The Hankyoreh)

An attendee can be seen wearing a scarf that reads “Trans liberation” (Kang Chang-kwang/The Hankyoreh)

An attendee adds a note to a board of messages collected in response to the question, “How have you been?” (Kang Chang-kwang/The Hankyoreh)

By Kang Chang-kwang, senior staff writer

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