MC Pride’s Transgender Day of Remembrance Vigil honors community and alliance
On November 20th, at 7:30 p.m., the Maryville College Pride Club joined communities around the world in observing a day of mourning and strength, the Transgender Day of Remembrance.
Trans Day of Remembrance is an annual observance on November 20th that honors the memory of the transgender people whose lives have been lost in acts of violence and hate against the transgender community. It began in 1999 as a vigil to honor the memory of Rita Hester, a transgender woman who was killed in 1998. The vigil commemorates all of those who were lost in the past and gives a sense of strength to a community that is at risk of losing more in the future.
This vigil was held in the Center for Campus Ministry, as it has been in years past. Jamie Webster, the director of interfaith ministries on campus, shared her thoughts on this campus tradition.
“I started working at MC in August 2022. I am deeply honored that the leaders of the Pride Club have entrusted me to speak at the vigil each year,” Webster said.
“We gather to say their names and to remember. We also gather because joining together in [a] community is healing, powerful and important. Coming together as a community helps us know we are not alone and gives us hope.”
The vigil consists of ceremonial lighting of candles, prayer, reflection and music. Speakers, both students and others from the community, touched on the importance of togetherness and strength through trying times, especially in such a politically tense era.
One of these speakers was Marvin Overholt (‘26), who gave a reflection on this vigil and the significance of observing it.
“This is a time to honor those we have lost, and to build community for the following year,” Overholt said. “The amount of support I find on this campus is outstanding, and I know it makes myself and many other trans students happier and safer knowing how many people support and mourn with us.”
Jackie Manning (‘26), one of the featured musicians of the program, also spoke briefly about the significance of this vigil on campus. She compared the importance of this event to a religious holiday, as a day of honor, connection, and togetherness.
“Trans Day of Remembrance, for myself, is a group-specific All Saints’ Day, where I remember the trans friends and elders that came before us,” she said. ”I pray for their souls and their well-being because I know not many would. It brings about visibility for a small, yet vibrant and beautiful community on our campus.”
Another part of the Transgender Day of Remembrance vigil is a reading of the names of transgender individuals who have lost their lives to hate-related occurrences. Ashton Hensley (‘27) is the student who took on the responsibility of reading the names of transgender individuals who unfortunately lost their lives this year.
“Trans Day of Remembrance, to me, is a solemn but necessary reminder of the violence against the trans community,” said Hensley. “It’s a reminder of why being a community is necessary, and the importance of taking care of each other. We have more of a voice together than separately.”
Students were not the only people in attendance at this vigil. Staff, alumni and community members filled the CCM to pay their respects to the transgender community and the lives that have been lost. One community member and alumni who spoke at this ceremony was Jennifer Spirko (‘89), worship co-chair at Foothills Unitarian Universalist Fellowship and Board Secretary for Blount Pride.
“The world is very dangerous for trans people, and it is up to cisgender queer allies like me, as well as straight allies, to stand together with them and show them that we see them, that we are on their side, and that we will work against the systems that oppress them,” Spirko said.
”While reading the names of trans people who have died is heartbreaking, it is also important to help us remember them and to remember the ongoing struggle for trans rights.”
In her reflection as a part of the vigil, Spirko encouraged both transgender individuals and cisgender allies to look for and inspire change for the better. Spirko made it clear that allyship can save lives.
“This is where we, cisgender allies both queer and straight, can stand forth,” she said. “What that looks like will be different for each of us, but it starts with showing up. With honoring those who have died and celebrating the lives they lived.”
This vigil holds great significance for the campus and surrounding LGBTQ+ community. Both transgender and non-transgender individuals came together to honor the deaths of those who can not celebrate their lives anymore. The vigil is a way to honor those who have passed and to remind those who are still living to fight for a better and more just world. Katie Parnell (‘27), the president of MC Pride, spoke briefly about the ceremony.
“This vigil is important to our campus and community because it gives us all time to sit with and mourn the lives that have been lost and hopefully be motivated to do something about the intolerance in our world. It’s also important to be in community with one another, especially given how scary the election has been for a lot of queer people,” Parnell said.
“Trans Day of Remembrance is a time to mourn those in my community who have passed. It’s also a time to offer support to my trans, non-binary and gender non-conforming friends who have to deal with a greater threat of violence than I do.”
It is easy to see the weight this event holds both on campus and for the larger community. The vigil was a beautiful sight, with students and community members filling the CCM with their presence and the light from their candles. Hopefully, this tradition and celebration of life will continue to impact the campus community for years to come.