NYC landmarks were lit blue, pink, and white in honor of Transgender Day of Remembrance
Image courtesy of Kevin P. Coughlin / Office of the Governor on Flickr
Landmarks across New York were lit blue, pink, and white on Sunday in honor of Transgender Day of Remembrance. The day honors transgender individuals who have lost their life due to anti-transgender violence. The tribute came just one day after a mass shooting at an LGBTQ+ nightclub in Colorado left five people dead.
Images courtesy of Kevin P. Coughlin / Office of the Governor on Flickr
The New York buildings and landmarks lit up in the observance of Transgender Day of Remembrance include:
- One World Trade Center
- Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge
- Kosciuszko Bridge
- The H. Carl McCall SUNY Building
- State Education Building
- Alfred E. Smith State Office Building
- Empire State Plaza
- State Fairgrounds – Main Gate & Expo Center
- Niagara Falls
- The “Franklin D. Roosevelt” Mid-Hudson Bridge
- Grand Central Terminal – Pershing Square Viaduct
- Albany International Airport Gateway
- MTA Long Island Rail Road – East End Gateway at Penn Station
- Fairport Life Bridge over the Erie Canal
- Bronx County Courthouse
- The David N. Dinkins Manhattan Municipal Building
- Queens Borough Hall
- Staten Island Borough Hall
- DSNY Spring Street Salt Shed
Image courtesy of Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr
Gov. Kathy Hochul also ordered that flags on state government buildings be flown at half-staff starting on Sunday to honor the victims of the Colorado Springs mass shooting that took place over the weekend.
Hochul also announced that the state’s police are increasing their protection of communities at risk of hate crimes.
“The senseless loss of life in Colorado Springs is yet another tragedy due to gun violence and discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community,” Hochul said. “New York is the birthplace of the LGBTQ+ rights movement, and we will continue to stand with the community so that every New Yorker can live with the dignity and equality they deserve.”
Image courtesy of Kevin P. Coughlin / Office of the Governor on Flickr
Transgender Day of Remembrance was created in 1999 by transgender advocate Gwendolyn Ann Smith to honor Rita Hester, a transgender woman who was killed in 1998. The solemn day remembers Hestler and all of the other transgender people who have lost their lives due to violence.
The Adams administration last week released videos in honor of New York City’s transgender community and Transgender Day of Remembrance. The mayor emphasized the city’s commitment to ensuring that New York City is a safe space for all transgender, gender non-conforming, and non-binary individuals.
“For too long, our transgender, gender non-conforming, and non-binary communities have been ignored, overlooked, marginalized, and forced into the shadows,” Mayor Eric Adams said. “Transgender people face disproportionately high numbers of poverty, health care challenges, and mortality rates, which is why it is critical that our city pauses to remember those we have lost and lift up the community as a whole. It is also important to remember that lifting up isn’t passive, it’s active, and it’s about showing respect.”
Adams continued: “Today, and every day, let us say in one voice to our transgender, gender non-conforming, and non-binary neighbors: In New York City, we see you, we respect you, and we stand with you always.”
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