As we kick off Transgender Awareness Week, which spans from Nov. 13 to 19, it’s important to celebrate all of the wins and victories the trans community has to celebrate. Whether it’s brave youth speaking out against transphobic legislation that affects them, family members showing up as allies, or peers rallying to support one another in the classroom, there’s plenty of warmth and encouragement. Unfortunately, however, there’s still a lot of violence, and according to a new report from the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), some of that violence is literally deadly. According to a Nov. 9 press release from the HRC, 2021 is already the deadliest year on record for trans folks. According to the HRC, at least 45 openly transgender or gender nonconforming people have been killed so far in 2021 alone. In 2020, for comparison, at least 44 trans or nonconforming people were killed. “At least” is an important caveat as crimes against trans folks are notoriously underreported, or people are misgendered after death. Read more