J Mase III was an important part of the 2013 TDOR toolkit we built as a project of Transfaith and the Trans People of Color Coalition.

Mase offered important questions about relationship in “Who Am I in relationship to TDOR? Critical Questions for TDOR Organizers” by J Mase III which was part two of the three part series (with Chris Paige and Angelica Ross) that makes up the core of this toolkit.

As a trans person of color, it would be really easy for me to put myself in the center of TDOR. I could talk about the street harassment I get as a visibly gender-nonconforming person. I could talk about all the times I have been made to feel unwelcome and physically unsafe. But the reality is that even though I am constantly at risk of criminalization just for being black and male, I am still less likely to be murdered than my trans woman/transfeminine counterparts.

The title to “Is Your TDOR Commitment a One-Night Stand?” by J Mase III speaks volumes on its own. Still, I recommend his full article at Transfaith.

Remember that some of us are living in fear for our lives every day — while many of us in the LGBTQ community don’t think twice about our physical presence in the world and what it may inspire in others. Make sure your efforts at inclusion are not merely symbolic gestures.

I drew on these two articles from J Mase III in creating chapter 3 of In Remembrance of Me, Bearing Witness to Transgender Tragedy. Mase calls for each of us to reflect deeply on our commitments around and relationships to all that Transgender Day of Remembrance stands for. This is a fundamental step in coming into right relationship with this important day and all that it stands for.

Get your copy of In Remembrance of Me, Bearing Witness to Transgender Tragedy: An OtherWise Reflection Guide to get deep wisdom around themes such as grief, self-care, repentance, and our ancestral traditions. These short meditations provide an entry point for thinking and feeling around themes such as Transgender Day of Remembrance and other tragedies haunting transgender communities.

Also, don’t forget to check out the Black Trans Prayer Book!

Compiled by Mx Chris Paige on February 19, 2020.

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