Transgender Day of Remembrance in a year we’d rather forget

What does remembrance mean in a year you’d rather forget?

Among transgender people in the U.S., and parts of the world, we ponder that on Transgender Day of Remembrance 2025.

This is a day when trans people mourn losses, largely coming from physical violence. The toll for this was 27 from direct physical violence, 21 known to have taken their own lives.

Get off the sidelines and into the game

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This year began with the President essentially saying that I don’t exist, and a lot of cisgender people are seemingly fine with that.

The NCAA rolled over and contradicted its own history and its own policies, and a whole host of governing bodies and leagues did the same. One of those leagues was one I played in.

One of those 21 who took their own lives was a student-athlete from Middlebury College (Vt.) named Lia Smith. Her body was found in a field near the campus last month.

Did the NCAA ban, which took away Smith’s opportunity to compete in women’s sports, have something to do with it? Difficult to say, but also difficult to rule out.

Imagine being in high school walking into a stadium to play a game, and seeing people protest you. AB Hernandez saw a lot of that.

Veronica Garcia heard those boos again, and saw a different school’s entire team make it clear she wasn’t welcome because she’s trans.

Since when did adults picking on kids become okay? I guess it is when the young people in question are trans.

If you’re transphobic you can be a poor sport, act bigoted and get an award for it or get paid to do it.

We have politicians openly slurring trans people. A U.S. Senator saying that whole girl’s teams are “turning trans”.

The fear is a real thing in these times of codified discrimination, greater restriction and a larger society staying silent as people raise $35k (the new going rate for transphobia) to elevate anti-trans voices.

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Playing through fear (when we get to play)

We live, work, train, compete and advocate in a time of demonization and restriction.

“A lot of my mental energy in the lead up to this race was questioning if I would be safe traveling, competing, and returning to the United States using my passport,” Chris Mosier said to Gayety last month after competing in his first Duathlon World Championships since 2019. “For the first part of the year, I declined multiple international speaking engagements and chose not to travel to race out of concern. Ultimately, I decided that traveling for the World Championship was worth it, and a risk I was willing to take.”

Do not attempt to come into comment sections and tell me I am overreacting about what I see as state-sponsored, sanctioned violence of a society trying to erase me and others like me.

An increasing number it seems would go further than that.

Sports was used as the starting point for this scorched-earth campaign. It was a rationale for more of what we are seeing.

When I heard of the restrictions the football league I played for came down in February, I was in tears but also enveloped in hugs by teammates ready to stand with me.

For every moment like that, there was a moment like West Virginia’s Governor, Patrick Morrisey, openly critical of a 14-year-old girl in his state who put in the work to medal at a state high school track meet in her freshman year.

Oh by the way, Becky Pepper-Jackson and every transgender American will have their rights on trial in the U.S. Supreme Court starting January 13.

Hope and hysteria met in skirmish at points this year. The FA ban in England, including those insulting restrictions on transgender men who want to hit the pitch, met with independent clubs standing for trans and nonbinary players.

This week a group of women cyclists refused an award because the award wasn’t open to trans women. In contrast, consider the fact that some of usual anti-trans media suspects have their eye trained on a random high school student in Michigan that they presume is a transgender girl on a girl’s high school volleyball team.

This year saw many trans people backing away from sport or visiting their lawyers. Sadie Schreiner should be preparing for a track season instead of filing lawsuits. Cammie Woodman is in court as much as she’s on a tennis court because she won a match in a recreational tennis league, and that triggered the losing opponent’s inner Riley Gaines.

Big money anti-trans groups are gearing up to demonize trans people for votes in 2026, including putting discrimination against trans youth on the ballot in Maine.

A moment of hope on this Transgender Day of Remembrance

Ironically, a moment through this rough year came in part from that state. A rivalry game on the field between my Connecticut Ambush and the Maine Mayhem.

Among the player-for-player battles that night was the Mayhem’s center and longtime standout Ally Cleveland, and me, the Ambush’s nose tackle.

Two proud trans women, supported by their teams going at each other and not giving an inch.

After the game, amid pride, pain, sweat and respect, I let her know how much of a measuring stick she was for me to uplift my game.

“Karleigh, you were just as tough on me,” she answered. “Strong women lift each other up.”

Even in this rough year, there were moments like that one to remind me why sports still matter and why a place on the field is worth fighting for.

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