Trans Ways of Remembrance is a space for Queer Trans Intersex Black Asian People of Colour (QTIBAPOC+), as well as LGBTQIA+ global majority to come together to reflect, honour, and explore trans ways of remembrance. We will check in, co-create a community collage together, and then we encourage you to take time to do a creative activity of your chose, with materials available to you in the presence of our communities. We will then do some breathwork and gentle movement which is inclusive of people who use wheelchairs. All of the activities are an invitation and not compulsory but we encourage you to be involved.
Bring any materials you wish to use during the session, stim toys and comforts.
Content warning before reading on: anti-transgender and racial violence
The event will take place on Trans Day of Remembrance, Thursday 20th November 2025. Transgender day of remembrance began in 1999, set up by trans advocate Gwendolyn Ann Smith to honour the memory of Rita Hester, a Black trans woman who was killed in 1998. The day ‘seeks to highlight the losses we face due to anti-transgender bigotry and violence…it is vitally important hat those we lose are remembered and that we continue to fight for justice' - Gwendolyn Ann Smith.
However, Trans Day of Remembrance has become institutionalised, where trans Black, Asian, and global majority lives are least remembered - and yet 93% of deaths resulting from anti-transgender violence are Black, Asian and global majority lives, with a high proportion of our community being trans women, femmes, and sex workers.
Trans ways of remembrance is a space for our QTIBAPOC+ and LGBTQIA+ global majority communities to reflect on how we remember, and what trans ways of remembrance mean to us, as we honour our ancestors, those before us, and trans loved ones.
Who can attend?
This event welcomes the broader QTIBAPOC+ and LGBTQIA+ global majority communities and is not trans exclusive BUT the event is led by trans people and will centre trans experiences. Inclusive of people with dual heritage, as well as mixed identities. By attending you agree to ESA.NE's Safer Spaces Agreement (read here: https://esanortheast.wordpress.com/community-agreement/)
Accessibility:
This event will be held on Zoom and it will use closed captions. We will send you a link to the Zoom call on the day of the event.
Your facilitators are Si Long (they/them) from ESA.NE/Zesty Siblings, Livv (they/them) from Zesty Siblings, and Dani (she/they) from Asian Queer Alliance. There will be the option to access a breakout room if you would like to speak with one of the online facilitators (Si Long or Livv) privately. For Asian Queer Alliance attendees who are joining together from Edinburgh, there will be a physical location shared by Asian Queer Alliance organiser Dani. Please request more information about this from Asian Queer Alliance. Please note that none of your facilitators are mental health professionals but we can signpost you to further resources for mental health support.