Last week I received an email asking if I was aware of anything happening in Pittsburgh to commemorate the Trans Day of Remembrance (TDOR) and I had to reply that I wasn’t aware of anything. The emails I sent out to members of the Trans community were unanswered, so I concluded that nothing organized, was being done. Then, Friday, at the commencement for the initiative for Transgender Leadership Fellowship, there was a moment of silence to acknowledge TDOR.
This all got me wondering, from where, in the mixture of organizations and individuals, would a TDOR event get organized? and what does it say about the Western PA community, in the most generic sense of the term community, that marking this event did not happen?
This is also on my mind given the goal of the QUILTBAG coalition. Big questions such as what is community? What roles do existing organizations play, and how are these efforts coordinated? What roles do individual members of the community play in relation to organizations? Through what mechanisms do the community at large seek change, and how do ideas for this get raised and considered?
I don’t really have answers for any of these questions, and while I can offer opinions, my opinions are just that, opinions.
Maybe Transgender Day of Remembrance isn’t that important to people here? Or maybe it is?
So this has been a post where I’ve ask no less than seven big questions. If you have ideas about any of them, please leave a comment and share.