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MEDIA ADVISORY - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Day of Remembrance Vigil Scheduled for Thompson Center on November 28

Contact:
Lisa Scheps
It's Time, Illinois!
312-409-5489
ItsTimeIL@aol.com

P.O. Box 3932
Oak Park, IL 60303
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Chicago, IL --- November 17, 2001 ---- On Wednesday, November 28, at 5:30 p.m., a candlelight vigil will be held at the Thompson Center Plaza (100 W. Randolph St.). The event is part of a nationally-coordinated Transgender Day of Remembrance to be held on the same day at cities throughout the United States.

The Transgender Day of Remembrance was set aside to memorialize those who were killed due to anti-transgender hatred or prejudice. The date of the event, November 28th, was chosen to honor Rita Hester, whose murder kicked off the "Remembering Our Dead" web project and a San Francisco candlelight vigil in 1999. Rita was stabbed to death in her own apartment. Like many other anti-transgender murders, her death has yet to be solved.

Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL 9th) is among those scheduled to speak at the event that will call attention to hate-motivated violence against all persons.

"This is an opportunity for individuals to join voices with others to stamp out hatred and violence against all people based simply on who they are, " Lisa Scheps, co-chair of the event said.

Eight individuals in Illinois have been killed in the past few years for real or perceived gender variance. "It is important that we remember and honor those individuals who were murdered merely because they were perceived to be different," event co-chair Tina Wood-Sievers said. "Whether it be gender variance, sexual orientation, race or religion, we must unite to stop violence and hatred against all people. That is the message we hope to communicate."

The vigil is being coordinated by It's Time Illinois, a political action and public advocacy for gender variant and transgender people in Illinois. It is co-sposored by Chicago Gender Society, Equality Illinois, Horizons Anti-Violence Project, Howard Brown Health Center, Human Rights Campaign, TransAction, TransGenesis, and Chi Chapter of TriEss .

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