Leicestershire memorial walk to commemorate Trans Day of Remembrance

Leicestershire will commemorate Trans Day of Remembrance in 2025 with a memorial walk, honouring trans lives. Leicestershire LGBTQ+ Centre are uniting with Trade Health (a local sexual health charity) to organise a memorial walk in Victoria Park on 20^th November to commemorate Trans Day of Remembrance (TDoR).

2025's TDoR theme is ‘Carry their light’

Trans Day of Remembrance is annual observation, first held in 1999, to memorialise the lives of transgender people who have murdered or have lost their lives as a result of transphobia. It also aims to raise awareness of the violence and discrimination faced by trans people, calling on allies to stand in solidarity with the trans community.

The day bookends Trans Awareness Week which runs from 13^th – 19^th November in 2025, during which individuals and organisations are encouraged to expand their understanding of trans people and the issues faced by members of the community.

Despite the fact that home office statistics of recorded hate crimes against trans people have shown a decrease from the year ending March 2025, trans-related hate crimes have reportedly nearly doubled in the last five years, and with many hate crimes still going unreported the true numbers are not clear. What’s more, other data, surveys and lived experience stories from trans people tell of the safety concerns, healthcare waits, and bigotry faced by those in the community on a daily basis. With rising anti-trans rhetoric, events commemorating trans lives, therefore, feel more poignant that ever.

In honour of this year’s TDoR theme, ‘Carry their light’, attendees of Leicestershire’s memorial walk are encouraged to wear fairy lights and carry battery-operated candles or lanterns. The event, which will offer space for grief, reflection and resistance in the ongoing fight for trans rights and survival, will be held from 6pm on Thursday 20^th November, meeting from Peace Walk in Victoria Park.

More information will also follow for those that would like to attend with the Centre as part of a group. Further information will be shared via Leicestershire LGBT Centre.