TDOR 2020: Black Transgender Lives Matter

November 20th is Transgender Day of Remembrance, a day to honor people who were murdered because they were transgender. Honestly, it’s not a day I particularly like. Perhaps this is because it forces me to recognize that others like me are killed because they are like me. It also forces me to acknowledge that most of those killed are trans women who are Black or Latinx.

In June, I raised over $3000 biking in honor of Pride Month for four different charities: The NAACP Legal Defense Fund, Planned Parenthood, The Trevor Project, and The Environmental Defense Fund. Over the summer, I’ve vocally protested the burning of LGBTQIA+ and Black Lives Matter flags at Church on Main in Middletown, DE. In September, I carried the casket of Gwen Hall, a dear Black friend, to her grave. In October, our LGBTQIA+ Task Force listened to Mark Olson speak to us about going forward as a More Light Church. He emphasized partnering with other churches, such as Community Presbyterian, a predominantly Black congregation. Finally, I have been sparring in the editorial section of The New Castle Weekly, a local newspaper, over various rights for people with marginalized identities..

Meanwhile, I’ve both witnessed and heard first-hand accounts of Presbyterian (USA) congregations struggling to openly support Black Lives Matter.

My point is this – the lives of my Rainbow Radiant community, particularly those who are People of Color… matter. To a fire department, all houses in their neighborhood matter, but it’s the one on fire they go to. Black Lives Matter is not an organization, per se, nor is the LGBTQIA+ community; they are groups of people sharing marginalized identities, seeking fair, civil rights. Though there are rogue elements within these groups, there are vastly more innocent homes burning to the ground.

This November, as we give God thanks for our abundant blessings in life, let us also recall those who are not so blessed. As we do, let us picture them with a spectrum of skin color, gender, and sexuality.

This piece was submitted by MLP Blog contributor Salina Brett.