PA LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus honors Transgender Day of Remembrance
Lawmakers remember transgender lives lost, highlight events happening statewide
Rep. Jessica Benham November 13, 2026 | 12:03 PM
HARRISBURG, Nov. 13 – Members of the PA LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus are encouraging Pennsylvanians to join them in recognizing the 27th Transgender Day of Remembrance on Nov. 20 and participate in local remembrance events across the state.
State Reps. Jessica Benham and Ismail Smith-Wade-El, co-chairs of the PA LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus, said that Transgender Day of Remembrance was established in 1999 after the murder of Rita Hester and has become an annual observance to honor the memory of transgender and non-binary people whose lives were lost due to hateful acts of anti-transgender violence or suicide.
“Trans people deserve to live dignified lives as their authentic selves without fear,” said Benham, D-Allegheny. “As a day to remember lives lost due to hate, violence, and bigotry, this observance carries a tremendous amount of pain. As lawmakers, we are committed to building a Pennsylvania where LGBTQ+ folks feel safe in every community and it’s a tragedy that we are not there yet. Behind every name we remember is a life that deserved so much more time, opportunity, and joy.”
“We cannot allow transgender people to be defined by the violence and discrimination they face,” said Smith-Wade-El, D-Lancaster. “We must listen to their experiences, uplift their families and loved ones, and continue working toward a Pennsylvania where everyone is treated with respect.”
Benham and Smith-Wade-El thanked Ashleigh Strange, executive director for the Governor’s Advisory Commission on LGBTQ Affairs, for organizing a candlelight memorial at the Capitol Tuesday and encouraged Pennsylvanians to attend upcoming Transgender Day of Remembrance events happening in Pennsylvania over the next week.
According to the commission, 55 transgender Americans, including four Pennsylvanians, Rosaline Mattaboni of Millersville, Rylie Autumn Heart of Homestead, Sydney Lou Walden of Lancaster, and Auggie York Santiago of Troy, lost their lives due to acts of violence or suicide this past year.
Photos from the memorial at the Capitol are available here.