WASHINGTON - The Human Rights Campaign, the nation's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender civil rights organization, will honor Transgender Day of Remembrance on Thursday, November 20, 2008. The 10th Annual Transgender Day of Remembrance is a solemn tribute to those who have lost their lives to anti-transgender hatred or prejudice and also aims to raise awareness of the constant threat of brutality faced by the transgender community.

"This year is one of the worst on record for the number of hate crimes in the transgender community and together we honor the memories of our transgender sisters and brothers lost to hatred and prejudice," said Allyson Robinson, Associate Director of Diversity at the Human Rights Campaign. "The most highly publicized murders in the transgender community this year had included Lawrence King and Angie Zapata. Then last week we learned that Duanna Johnson, the transgender woman who in July was bludgeoned by police officers, had been murdered execution-style on the streets of Memphis. And just this week came word of the shooting death of Latiesha Green in Syracuse, New York, by someone she had only met hours before. All told, at least fifteen transgender people have been murdered in hate crimes in the U.S. this year alone."

Transgender Day of Remembrance is held in November to honor Rita Hester, whose murder in 1998 led to the "Remembering Our Dead" web project and a San Francisco candlelight vigil in 1999. Since then, the event has grown to encompass memorials in dozens of cities, including Washington, D.C. The Human Rights Campaign is asking its staff, volunteers, and other members of the community to be actively involved in Transgender Day of Remembrance activities throughout the country. The National Capital Area's annual observance in Washington, D.C. will be held at Metropolitan Community Church. For a complete list of vigils and remembrances around the world, visit www.transgenderdor.org.

The Human Rights Campaign media center produced an awareness video ahead of Transgender Day of Remembrance. To view the video and for further information on transgender education, visit www.hrc.org/transgender.

WHAT: The National Capital Area's annual observance of the Transgender Day of Remembrance

WHEN: Thursday, November 20, 2008 at 6:30 p.m. ET

WHERE: Metropolitan Community Church, 474 Ridge Street NW, Washington, DC 20001

METRO: Green/Yellow line Mount Vernon Square/7th Street Convention Center station

PHONE: Call (202) 904-9969 for more information, to donate, or to volunteer.

LINK: http://thedccenter.blogspot.com/2008/10/transgender-day-of-remembrance-november.html

The Human Rights Campaign is America's largest civil rights organization working to achieve lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality. By inspiring and engaging all Americans, HRC strives to end discrimination against LGBT citizens and realize a nation that achieves fundamental fairness and equality for all.