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Following a Transgender Day of Remembrance rally in Itaewon, Seoul, on Nov. 20, participants march toward the presidential office.

People dressed in black gathered in Seoul’s Itaewon neighborhood to commemorate Transgender Day of Remembrance on Sunday.

What began as an event to celebrate the memory of Rita Hester, a trans woman who was killed in a hate crime in the US, the day has come to be observed around the world each Nov. 20 as a reminder of the dignity and rights of trans people everywhere.

Organized under the slogan “For all our safety in everyday life,” this year’s rally began with a moment of silence for those killed in the deadly crowd crush that took place in Itaewon on Oct. 29.

A person donning a wristband in the colors of the trans pride flag holds up a sign reading, “The right to not die! The right to go about our lives safely together!  Trans people are everywhere, all the time and everywhere, going about their lives in your midst!”

Trans people were not the only ones present at the rally. A queer person in their 60s who runs a lesbian bar, a choir made up of gay men, and Parents and Families of LGBTAIQ People in Korea took part in the day’s event to show their solidarity.

Flags with stripes of light blue, pink, and white — the trans pride colors — fluttered in the gaps of the crowd. Some rally-goers carried signs with handwritten messages of remembrance.

“In a world where our existence and lives are considered illegal and wrong, living our lives is an act of resistance,” read one sign. “Let’s resist to the end.”

Following the rally and performances in Itaewon, participants marched toward the presidential office in Yongsan.

We’ve gathered some photos of Sunday’s memorial.

A memorial space at the rally is covered with frames and flowers for trans people who have died.

A person holds up a sign at the rally reading “In a world where our existence and lives are considered illegal and wrong, being alive is an act of resistance. Let’s resist to the end.”

Article and photos by Baek So-ah, staff reporter

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