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Transgender Day of Remembrance Marked in Second Life and Legal Blogosphere

November 20th, 2007 by Benjamin Duranske

Transgender Day of RememberanceNovember 20, 2007 marks a Day of Remembrance to memorialize those who have lost their lives due to anti-transgender hatred or prejudice. The event is held each November to honor Rita Hester, whose 1998 murder sparked the “Remembering Our Dead” web project and a San Francisco candlelight vigil in 1999. As part of the Day of Remembrance, the legal “blog carnival” Blawg Review is focused on transgender workplace diversity this week. The event will also be marked in Second Life with a 24-hour memorial at Elysium Gardens (SLURL).

From the announcement of the in-world event (via SL Pulse):

On Tuesday, November 20th, Elysium Gardens, with the support of the Transgender Resource Center, will host Second Life’s first service held in memory of victims of violence directed against the transgendered. Unlike traditional Transgender Day of Remembrance services, the Elysium Gardens service will be observed as an all-day event running from midnight to midnight (PST) and is designed to offer residents of Second Life from around the world access to a beautiful yet solemn location to honor victims of anti-transgender violence. Also unlike traditional Transgender Day of Remembrance services, Elysium Gardens will use this unique opportunity and medium to honor victims of a different kind of violence–the prejudice that leads many transgendered individuals to end their own lives.

Thanks to the editor of Blawg Review for the heads’ up, and to SL Pulse for the announcement regarding the in-world event.

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Posted in Constitutional Law, Second Life, Virtual Law, Virtual Worlds & Games |


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4 Responses to “Transgender Day of Remembrance Marked in Second Life and Legal Blogosphere”

  1. on 20 Nov 2007 at 12:54 pm1 zoe

    I Think second Life is not worth to do a day of remembrance. Real life remembrance is much more worth

  2. on 20 Nov 2007 at 1:06 pm2 Benjamin Duranske

    @1, though I agree that virtual events should not replace real events, I think that there’s a particularly good reason to hold parallel events like this in Second Life — it provides a place for people who aren’t located in cities where events are taking place to participate if they want to.

    It’s similar to the Vietnam Memorial in Second Life — some people are never going to be able to make the trip to D.C., but they can experience some aspects of the memorial in a virtual world.

  3. on 20 Nov 2007 at 2:38 pm3 cyn vandeverre

    One could compare an SL remembrance with the “moment of silence” type remembrances, which are generally believed to be a good thing, even if it’s not obvious what is going on inside someone’s head. Maybe it’s not a big huge media event, but it has personal value to those participating.

  4. on 20 Nov 2007 at 5:03 pm4 Random

    I’m not going to sit and debate whether having a memorial to transgendered people who have been murdered or committed suicide due to an ignorant society is a good idea, or even necessary. I will not debate whether remembering the victims of hate crimes- whether remembering is done in this or any other world- is ‘worthwhile’. I feel there is nothing to debate.

    I feel it is always worthwhile to remember the dead, regardless of whether we gather in a real life place, like Central Park in New York, or a virtual space, like the Transgendered Suicide Memorial in second life.

    The purpose of this day of remembrance- is to be sure the world does not forget the tragedies caused by hatred and ignorance. Regardless of where- or how- we gather, this is worthwhile.

    If we cannot leave our homes- or cannot attend an event- for whatever reason, a memorial service in the virtual world is not only worthwhile, but necessary.

    Also, many find comfort in visiting a memorial, regardless of the reason why the memorial was built- whether it is in a virtual world, or in the real one. Again, this is a fact- there is nothing to debate.

    If a memorial should exist- but it is to controversial, or too expensive to build, and no city will have it- why should it not exist in a virtual world? I hope some day- some city, some where, would allow it built, i hope to find a way to raise the money to build it- in the real world.

    This is why I have worked to build this memorial, and why I have worked to coordinate this event. I felt it was not only necessary, but worthwhile.

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