Transgender Day of Remembrance 2025
Thursday 20 November marks the annual observance of Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDoR), when we honour the memory of trans people who have been lost to transphobic violence.
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**Please note: content and links within this article contains descriptions and images of anti-LGBTQIA violence and transphobia. Please take care of yourself.**
TDoR takes place at the end of Transgender Awareness Week (TAW). TAW and TDoR bring attention to trans and gender non-conforming people around the world, as well as raising awareness of the issues this diverse community faces, including combating transphobia, discrimination, bullying and harassment.
TDoR was established in 1999 by transgender advocate Gwendolyn Ann Smith as a vigil to honour the memory of Rita Hester, a Black transgender woman who was killed in 1998. The sombre day acknowledges the fact that trans and gender non-conforming people continue to experience violence and oppression. It's important to remember that this is not always only a result of transphobia but also of transmisogyny, racism and the impacts of other intersecting identities.
The date offers everyone the opportunity to reflect on how they can take an active part in fostering a safe and inclusive environment.
In October 2025 the Home Office reported that there were 3,809 transgender hate crimes for the year ending March 2025; an 11% fall compared to the same reporting period for the previous year.
However, this reporting level remains higher than the 2,510 hate crimes reported in 2020/21, at which time the National LGBT Survey found that this number was still severely underreported because out of 108,100 responses, 88% of transgender people did not report the most serious type of incident. 48% of transgender people were not satisfied with the Police response after reporting the most serious types of incidents.
Research presented in The Hate Crime Report 2021 conducted by Galop, the LGBT+ anti-abuse charity, indicated underreporting may be an issue, noting that only 1 in 8 respondents reported their experiences of anti-LGBT+ violence or abuse to the police (13%).
More recently a 2025 YouGov poll commissioned by Good Law Project of trans people in the UK, has shown how public spaces have become hostile environments, with 84% of respondents saying Britain is “fairly unsafe” or “very unsafe” for trans people. Almost two-thirds (65%) of trans adults reported verbal abuse in public spaces, while nearly one in four (24%) said they have suffered physical violence.
Given this backdrop, it remains vitally important that we all continue to learn more and work together to support the trans community.
How can you find out more about the trans community?
Listening to trans, non-binary and gender non-conforming voices telling their own stories is one of the most important things you can do to find out more about the community and to learn about their history.
In February 2025, Queen Mary marked LGBTQIA+ History Month and published a list of Media Recommendations, including books and podcasts. Library Services also have several LGBTQIA+ reading lists to explore. Many of these recommendations include lived experiences of trans people and are a great place to start.
- A LGBTQIA+ Reading List : 101 titles from the Queen Mary Library Collection
- 100-ish more LGBTQIA+ books from the Queen Mary UoL's Library Collection
- LGBTQIA+ Leisure Collection
You can also read our LGBTQA+ Glossary of Terms Booklet [PDF].
Queen Mary’s commitment to our trans community
At Queen Mary we are committed to creating an inclusive environment where everyone can be themselves and be treated with kindness, dignity and respect and the contributions of our trans, non-binary and gender non-conforming staff and students are celebrated.
Following the Supreme Court judgement regarding the legal definitions of sex under the Equality Act 2010 earlier this year, in August 2025, our Senior Executive Team approved an interim Trans Inclusion Statement of Commitment 2025 V1.1 [PDF 255KB] to ensure compliance with the ruling/Act - any further revisions to our Trans Inclusion Statement of Commitment, and wider policy, will follow once the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) have updated the Statutory Code of Practice.
We remain committed to creating a safe and inclusive environment for all members of our university community, where our staff and students are treated with dignity and respect, with no tolerance for any form of unlawful discrimination, bullying and/or harassment. Our Dignity at Work and Study Procedures and Guidance set out Queen Mary’s approach to ensuring that our community is free from all forms of prejudice, discrimination, harassment and bullying.
In line with our Code of Practice on Free Speech, we promote a respectful and inclusive culture where lawful debate can take place without becoming unlawful discrimination.
Challenging transphobia and being a trans ally
Transphobia is unlawful prejudice against trans people. It may be realised through acts of discrimination, bullying and harassment. If you experience or witness transphobia, you can report it (anonymously if you like) and / or access support through the Queen Mary Report + Support tool.
Read and share our Being a Trans Ally leaflet [PDF] to find out what we mean by ‘trans’ and what you can do to be a trans ally. You can also read our #PronounsMatter leaflet [PDF]: find out what pronouns are, how to use them, and why they matter.
A Gender Neutral toilet map of our Mile End campus is available.
Support and networks for trans students
LGBT+ Society: QM LGBT Society provides a space for all members and allies of the LGBTQIA+ community at Queen Mary, connecting LGBTQIA+ students through regular socials.
LGBT+ Society (Whitechapel): A society set up to create a welcoming and supportive environment for all LGBTQIA+ (and unsure!) medics, dentists, and other students studying at Barts and The London.
Togetherall is a support service available to students, offering unlimited, 24/7 accessible online support.
External Resources
Galop: community safety charity for LGBT+ people giving advice and support to people who have experienced biphobia, homophobia, transphobia, sexual violence or domestic abuse. Galop also supports LGBT+ who encounter problems with the police or have questions about the criminal justice system.
Gender Identity Research & Education Society (GIRES): a UK wide organisation whose purpose is to improve the lives of trans and gender diverse people of all ages, including those who are non-binary and non-gender.
Gendered Intelligence (GI): a not-for-profit Community Interest Company. Their aim is to increase understandings of gender diversity. GI work with the trans community and those who impact on trans lives, specialising in supporting young trans people aged 8-25.
Mermaids: supports young gender variant people.
Press for Change (PFC): a key lobbying and legal support organisation for Trans people in the UK. They provide legal advice, training, and research for trans people, their representatives. PFC has worked regularly with the government and partner trans organisations to inform government legislation affecting the trans community.
Switchboard: a helpline providing a one-stop listening service for LGBT+ people.
TransBareAll: a trans led, voluntary organisation that works with trans people to explore feelings and decisions around bodies, sexual health and intimacy. TransBareAll believes in improving the health and wellbeing of trans people and provide a space for trans people to discuss and explore things that impacts their lives.
TransUnite: a comprehensive resource for people in the UK searching for support in the transgender community. TransUnite connects you to a network of groups throughout England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and can be split into physical local and online groups.