OPINION » COLUMNS
Meeting Cris: Transgender Day of Remembrance is also about celebrating those who have survived.
By Leah Lancaster
November 26, 2012http://www.mndaily.com/2012/11/26/meeting-crisThe 14th International Transgender Day of Remembrance ended five days ago, but this holiday season in particular, it remains fresh in my mind. Over Thanksgiving break, I met up with my friend Cris for lunch...
He is no longer one of my "girlfriends" from back home. This year, the person who stared back at me from across the table was a man.
When I saw Cris this Thanksgiving break, I was in awe at the person looking back at me. Only a couple years ago, Cris began the fight for his happiness. Though for a while all the odds seemed stacked against him, he got through it with his unwavering courage and resilience. And the fight is not over. For Cris, the holidays have always been awkward since he began transitioning, but things are getting better. He graduated from college with honors and is holding down two jobs. Next year he will be the best man in his brother's wedding.
Not all people are as lucky as Cris. Transgender Day of Remembrance exists to commemorate the many lives lost to transgender hatred. The Human Rights Campaign estimates that one in 12 transgender Americans face the chance of being murdered, and the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Program's recent report showed that the largest increase in violence against any demographic targeted transgender men.
