This year, Eastern Michigan University observed Transgender Day of Remembrance by hosting a vigil for students and staff.
EMU has been recognizing Transgender Day of Remembrance, or TDoR, since 2001. Emma Wuetrich, the coordinator of the LGBT Resource Center, has been putting on the vigil since 2023. The vigil was hosted at the lake house, where there were snacks and drinks for guests. Tables were set up so that people could socialize. On each table, there were squares of paper and colored pencils, so attendees could decorate the squares if they wished and take them home. The quilt squares are used across cultures for emotional healing and to process grief.
Wuetrich structures the event so that it’s more accessible to staff and faculty to attend. Although anybody is welcome to come, Wuetrich said it’s more important for staff to be there.
“The people who should be here the most are staff and faculty,” Wuetrich said.
The staff have the power to set the tone of the campus climate to be inclusive and welcoming, Wuetrich said.
TDoR was founded in 1999 by Gwendolyn Ann Smith, after transgender woman Rita Hester was killed in 1998. Since then, it has become a day to observe all the transgender lives lost to anti-trans violence.
The Remembering Our Dead database collects the names of transgender people who were killed by violence. The site was created by Anna-Jayne Metcalf and features reports of anti-trans violence dating back to 1970. From Oct. 1, 2024, to Sept. 30, 2025, 270 transgender people across the globe were killed. 31 of those were in the United States.
Wuetrich started the vigil with a speech about the history and importance of TDoR. The floor was then opened to anyone else who wished to say something. Then, all the attendees stood in a circle holding LED candles as Wuetrich read out the 31 names of the Americans who were killed. A moment of silence for the lives lost ended the vigil.
The Counseling and Psychological Services department at EMU had a table set up at the vigil. There were brochures for the services offered and the CAPS workers were there to talk to any attendees and answer qesutions.
Wuetrich said she hopes people will reflect on the realities transgender people face and continue to improve the ecosystem on campus
“I hope it’s an earnest moment of reverence,” Wuetrich said.
Resources
The LGBT Resource Center is located in the Student Center, Room 354 and can be reached at 734-487-4149.
EMU offers free, confidential counseling services for students enrolled at least half-time. Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., CAPS can be reached at 734-487-1118 or by visiting the Campus Wellness Center at 1075 N. Huron River Drive. After hours, including on weekends and during holidays, students can reach CAPS' after-hours counseling at 734-487-1118.
Anyone can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 or text the word HELLO to 741-741 to be connected to the Crisis Text Line. For LGBTQ-informed support, the Trans Lifeline can be reached at 877-565-8860 and the LGBT National Hotline can be reached at 888-843-4564.
Call 911 if you or someone else is hurt or in immediate danger.
