trans day of remembrance

i typed up the prayer petitions this past week for church.  we use sundays and seasons and then add two petitions that are more context specific.  i included prayers for all those in palestine and israel as well as prayers for god's transgender children.  tuesday, november 20th is the trans day of remembrance.

i have never been to a service or gathering for the trans day of remembrance and there's one here in kansas city this year.  there will be a vigil on the plaza at 7:30 pm.  i am going as the intern at immanuel lutheran church.  in thinking about why i'm going, i've started to think about why i do anything that i do.  here is my list for why it is important for me to go to the vigil tomorrow night.

as a part of the lgbtqi community, it is important for me to go.

as a church leader, it is important for me to go.

as a person whose gender expression is not always normative, it is important for me to go.

as the significant other of a transguy, it is important for me to go.

as a child of god concerned about violence and hatred, it is important for me to go.

as a person working against transphobia, it is important for me to go.

as a human being, it is important for me to go.

i'm sure i am missing some very valid and important reasons.  most of the time my reasons for going to anything connect to my identity as a child of god, as a queer woman, and as a person trying really hard to be non-violent and work against oppression.  what about you?  what are your reasons for doing what you do?  what sends you into your life and work in the world?

on a happier note, here's a picture of that significant other i mentioned and me at a local coffee shop :)