TDOR, or the Transgender Day of Remembrance, was November 20th. The annual event, founded in 1999, is a day to recognize and remember trans victims of hate crimes and violence. The event is preceded by Trans Awareness Week.

A lot has changed for the better in America in regards to trans rights, but TDOR and Trans Awareness Week are still necessary. In July, the president sent out a strand of tweets stating that transgender people would no longer be accepted or allowed in the U.S. military. This proposed policy was never carried out, but it wasn’t just about the military, much like the anti-trans bathroom bills all over the nation were never just about bathrooms. Even without considering the harmful language of the tweets, they remain a targeted attack on trans people, devoid of fact or logical reasoning.

In a 2016-2017 report of LGBT characters on TV by GLAAD, it was reported that of 895 regular characters on broadcast television, only 3 are transgender. This lack of representation, plus the frequent, hateful attacks on trans people in America are some problems that trans people in the U.S. face; however, it is no understatement that one of the major problems they face is death. Dying from a hate crime is a reality that many trans people face. Trans women are estimated to be 4 times more likely to be murdered than women in general. In addition, an estimated 41 percent of trans people in America have attempted suicide.

Though it may not affect every single person in the U.S., transgender issues are still a problem that needs to be addressed in our country, and a #TDOR is a necessary step in recognizing the obstacles that trans people face.