Amygdalia's Blog

TDOR

TRIGGER WARNING

Today is Transgender Day of Remembrance. For those of you who do not know what this means, I will explain.

Every year on this date, people around the world gather to memorialize those lost to the hatred perpetuated against members of the transgender community. These losses may be due to acts of violence, and they may be losses due to the extreme agony and grief of being bullied, mistreated, misunderstood, and disowned, which leads an excruciatingly high percentage of transgender people to consider, attempt, or - worst of all - succeed at committing suicide.

Today, around the world, people will grieve, they will mourn the loss of loved ones, and they will mourn the loss of those whom they never knew, but for whom they wish they could have somehow made a difference.

For the past three years, I have been writing a trilogy of young adult stories, set in a cluster of fictional countries, and featuring among other characters two who are transgender. For me, the goal of writing a novel has always been a strong draw. I have attempted many stories over the years, without success. About three and a half years ago, I began conceiving of the idea for a story called Prince Alexandra. My husband suggested I tweak the name slightly, and so Prince(ss) Alexandra was born. I wrote Alex’s story during November of 2011. The following November, I continued the series, with Nell’s Journey. Today, on November 20, 2013, Transgender Day of Remembrance 2013, I have finished the first draft of the final book in the series, Sir Georgie and the Dragon.

It is my profound hope that the publication of these stories will in some way make a difference, leading to one or two or a thousand less new candles that must be lit in remembrance of a brilliant life cut far too short.

Because chances are, that you who read this are very close to someone that may be silently suffering. And that by making trans identity a more normal part of your knowledge and vocabulary, you are effectively making this world a safer place for people to be who they are.

Your wisdom and acceptance can mean saving someone's life. So what will you do to make the world safer, today, for everyone?

**A big thank you to Solivagus   for his feedback and suggestions on making this blog post more impactful.