The Trans Flag will be raised at the New York State Capitol and more than a dozen landmarks across the state will light up in pink, white, and light blue on the evening of Nov. 20 in commemoration of Transgender Day of Remembrance, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced.
“Today we honor the memory of transgender New Yorkers whose lives were tragically lost in acts of anti-transgender violence,” Hochul said in a written statement. “New York has zero tolerance for gender-based violence, and as governor, I remain committed to protecting our transgender community, and investing in programs that provide critical services for transgender, gender non-conforming and non-binary New Yorkers.”
Transgender Day of Remembrance has been observed every year since 1999 and helps to bring attention to deadly violence against transgender individuals, which remains an ongoing crisis in the United States. At least 27 transgender and gender non-conforming people have been killed in the past year, and 399 since 2013, according to the Human Rights Campaign.
The lit-up landmarks will include 1 World Trade Center, the Gov. Mario M. Cuomo Bridge (the Tappan Zee), the Kosciuszko Bridge, the H. Carl McCall SUNY Building, the State Education Building, the Alfred E. Smith State Office Building, Empire State Plaza, the State Fairgrounds, Niagara Falls, the Mid-Hudson Bridge, Grand Central Terminal, Albany International Airport, the LIRR at Pen Station, the Fairport Lift Bridge over the Erie Canal, Moynihan Train Hall, and Roosevelt Island Lighthouse.
The state landmarks are now lit up every year on Transgender Day of Remembrance. The New York City Council is also recognizing Transgender Day of Remembrance on Nov. 20 in the Council Chambers.
Earlier in November, the governor issued a proclamation stipulating that November is Transgender Awareness Month.
