Thu. November 20, 2025
CHICAGO, ILL. -
By Michael Oboza, Special to GoPride.com
On a quiet, brisk Autumn night, an intimate crowd gathered for The Second City Sisters Transgender Day of Remembrance Candlelight Vigil at Center on Halsted, 3656 N. Halsted St. Attendees came "not only to mourn, but to bear witness, to uplift community, and to recommit ourselves to the sacred work of justice, compassion and visibility."
Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR) is observed annually on November 20 during Transgender Awareness Month to honor the memory of transgender people who have lost their lives to violence and transphobia.
TDOR was founded in 1999 by advocate Gwendolyn Ann Smith as a vigil to honor the memory of Rita Hester, a Black transgender woman who was murdered in Allston, Mass, on November 28, 1998.
The initial vigil commemorated the lives of all transgender people lost to violence since Hester's death, establishing a crucial tradition that has grown into the worldwide annual observance. It is even observed by religious bodies like The Episcopal Church, United Methodist Church, and Presbyterian Church (USA). This day serves as a powerful reminder of the human cost of anti-transgender violence and discrimination.
Tragically, the need for this day remains urgent. According to data released by Advocates for Trans Equality for TDOR 2025, reported deaths of transgender and gender-nonconforming people in North America included 27 who died from violence and 21 who died by suicide.
The event was hosted by The Second City Sisters Abbey of the Irreverent Bean. This Chicago-based mission house of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence is a secular queer drag organization dedicated to promoting universal joy and alleviating stigmatic guilt. Its mission is guided by core values of activism for justice, community service, and self-expression.
The vigil was held at Center on Halsted, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. COH works to advance community and secure the health and well-being of thriving LGBTQ people in Chicagoland and throughout the Midwest.
This marked the second annual TDOR gathering for The Second City Sisters. The memorial service held inside the COH included a candle blessing and a welcome of remembrance. Highlights of the service included a powerful reading of "Litanies to My Heavenly Brown Body" by Mark Aguhar (1987-2012) and a Veil of Remembrance ceremony. The evening concluded with a community candlelight vigil procession down Halsted St. through the Lake View East neighborhood.
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