GREENSBORO, NC — The Colorado Springs shooting happened on the day that thousands recognized Transgender Day of Remembrance. North Carolina joined the rest of the country in remembering those who have died and shared why the day is so important.

What You Need To Know

  • City of Greensboro is the first city to honor Transgender Day of Remembrance, according to the city’s Transgender Task Force and the city’s Human Rights Department

  • More than 327 people who are transgender have lost their life this year around the world

  • More than 70 have lost their life in the U.S. this year

During the Transgender Day of Remembrance, which took place on Sunday, Nov. 20, the City of Greensboro remembered the 327 Transgender people who violently lost their lives this year.

“Each day this day happens, we say their names or new names out there. It’s just very heartening for me,” said Flex Jonez, Chairperson of Greensboro Transgender Task Force.

This year, according to the Greensboro Transgender Task Force, 70 transgender people in the U.S. and 25 here in North Carolina have been killed. According to the nonprofit Everytown for Gun Safety the number of trans people who were murdered in the U.S. nearly doubled between 2017 and 2021.

But for Flex Jonez, this isn’t just one day of remembrance. For him, it’s something he lives with every day.

“I mourned this day, but I mourn it every day. Because it is always a reflection sometimes of something I’ve shared with that person and sometimes I go back and think about and say ‘wow,’ you know, ‘I remember when this or that,’” said Jonez.

Jonez is a transman and the chairperson of the Greensboro Transgender Task Force.

He also runs 5th Avenue, a nonprofit that helps transgender people and the LGBTQ Community, providing them with resources for their everyday needs.

“This is home for many of us, this space is a safe space. This is where we can come and communicate, find assistance and get support, gain friends. We’re like a family. This space is like a family space. This space is our trans family space here,” said Jonez.

And the space also gives those in need help with mental wellness and work, like his volunteer, Hinata, a trans woman who has been homeless for three years and received help through 5th Avenue.

“It’s not being trans is the problem. It’s going through the struggle to survive is the problem. And mental wellness can take you down the rabbit hole. So, what we’ve been doing here with 5th Ave. is putting Hinata to work and keeping her out of harm’s way,” said Jonez.

The Transgender Day of Remembrance started in 1999 and is recognized annually on Nov. 20. Since then more than 4,000 trans people have been killed.