Illinois Gender Advocates (IGA) is sponsoring a candlelight vigil at 5 p.m. on Sat., Nov. 20 at Sidetrack, 3349 N. Halsted. The ceremony is being held to honor the memories of transgender and gender-variant men and women throughout the world as well as people who attempted to help them.
The Day of Remembrance is being held in dozens of cities around the world. The vigil began in 1999 in memory of a Boston trans-woman, Rita Hesler, who was brutally stabbed to death. The yearly observance was organized by Gwendolyn Smith, a West Coast transgender activist who maintains the Remembering Our Dead web site (www.gender.org/remember). Among those being remembered are Precious Armani (Atlanta), Bella Martinez (Los Angeles), and Cedric Thomas (Baton Rouge, La.).
IGA’s Day of Remembrance will feature several speakers. They are Rev. Karen Hunt, pastor of the Church of the Open Door; Clarence Woods, chairman of the Chicago Commission on Human Relations; Bill Greaves, the LGBT liaison to the City of Chicago; Rick Garcia, political director of Equality Illinois; and Lisa Tonna, the anti-violence project manager for the Center on Halsted.
A reception will immediately follow the vigil. It will also be at Sidetrack.
Contact Stevie Conlon at StevieConlon@genderadvocates.org or Diana Williamson at DianaW@genderadvocates.org.