Transgender Day of Remembrance: Honoring Lives & Finding Support
Honoring Transgender Day of Remembrance With Compassion and Care
Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR), observed every year on November 20th, is a day dedicated to honoring transgender and gender-expansive individuals whose lives were lost to anti-transgender violence. If this day feels heavy, emotional, or complicated for you, you’re not alone.
On a day centered around remembrance, safety, and resilience, having a supportive space with a trusted mental health therapist can help you process the weight of these feelings. We serve Massachusetts, including the Saugus area offering online therapy and affirming care. ReAlign Wellness Group is committed to holding space for your humanity and your healing.
What Transgender Day of Remembrance Is and Why It Matters
TDOR began in 1999, founded by advocate Gwendolyn Ann Smith, to honor the life of Rita Hester, a Black transgender woman from Massachusetts whose murder in 1998 remains unsolved. Today, Transgender Day of Remembrance serves several purposes:
TDOR honors:
Transgender individuals who have lost their lives
The resilience of the community
The ongoing fight for visibility and safety
TDOR raises awareness about:
Violence experienced across the transgender community
Systemic discrimination and barriers to safety
The emotional and psychological impact of living in a world that often feels unsafe
TDOR reminds us:
Every life deserves dignity
Transgender people deserve to live full, joyful, safe lives
Community support and acceptance is essential
Why Affirming Mental Health Care Matters on TDOR
For transgender and gender-expansive individuals, it’s not enough for a therapist to be “accepting.”
You deserve care that is:
Affirming
Knowledgeable
Trauma-informed
Culturally and socially aware
Actively supportive
At ReAlign Wellness Group, affirming care means:
Using your chosen name and pronouns
Respecting your identity without question
Centering your lived experience
Understanding the emotional impact of discrimination
Creating a safe space free from judgment
Supporting you through any part of your transition or self-discovery
Online therapy may be best if you:
Prefer to process sensitive emotions in a private space
Feel safer at home
Live in an area with limited affirming providers
Want flexible scheduling
Affirming Support for Transgender Individuals in MA
Living as a transgender or gender-expansive person in Massachusetts brings both protections and challenges. Even in supportive communities like Massachusetts, the emotional experience of daily life can be complex. Working with a mental health therapist gives you space to explore feelings brought up during TDOR, or throughout your gender journey more broadly.
A therapist can help you:
Process grief triggered by remembrance events
Build emotional safety and grounding skills
Explore identity in an affirming environment
Navigate fear, anxiety, or hypervigilance
Address trauma from discrimination or rejection
Strengthen resilience and coping strategies
Heal past invalidation or erasure
Create meaning and empowerment in your journey
Honoring Yourself on Transgender Day of Remembrance
TDOR is about remembering lives, but it’s also about honoring your life, your story, your journey, your resilience.
You might choose to:
Attend a vigil
Light a candle
Spend time with community
Journal or reflect
Disconnect from social media
Talk with a therapist
Rest and protect your peace
You Deserve Support Today and Every Day
Transgender Day of Remembrance is a time for honoring lives lost, acknowledging truth, and caring for yourself in the process. If TDOR brings up heavy emotions, or if you’re simply ready to feel more supported in your day-to-day life, connecting with a mental health therapist can help you move through your journey with more safety, grounding, and validation.
ReAlign Wellness Group in Saugus, MA is here to support you with affirming, compassionate therapy. If you’re ready to feel seen, supported, and understood, Contact Us today. You deserve care that affirms who you are.