The City of West Hollywood and its Transgender Advisory Board recognize Transgender Awareness Month every November by holding events in the City of West Hollywood and throughout the local area.

On Thursday, November 20, 2014 at 6:30 p.m., the City will hold its annual Transgender Day of Remembrance event at the Auto Court of the West Hollywood Library, located 625 N. San Vicente Boulevard. This outdoor reception, hosted by the City’s Transgender Advisory Board, will include speakers from the community, City representatives, various transgender performers, and will conclude with the reading of the names of transgender people who have passed due to transgender hate crimes. There will be a candlelight march at 8:30 p.m. Admission is free and validated parking will be available at the five-story parking garage at West Hollywood Park.

Transgender Day of Remembrance is observed all across the world on November 20. The day serves to honor and memorialize those who have lost their lives because of anti-transgender hatred and prejudice. It also helps to raise public awareness about ongoing hate crimes against the transgender community.

In addition to the Transgender Day of Remembrance reception and march, Transient, a curated group show that develops ideas about sharing and recognizing visibility within and outside of the transgender community, will open on Thursday, November 20, 2014 at 6 p.m. at the West Hollywood Library, located 625 N. San Vicente Boulevard. Los Angeles-based artist Kean O’Brien brings curatorial direction to Transient that revolves around ideas of visibility — whether personal visibility for the artist, narrative visibility, or circumstantial visibility. Transient is supported in part through a grant from the City of West Hollywood through its Arts and Cultural Affairs Commission. Admission is free.

The City of West Hollywood has a legacy of working with the transgender community and with numerous agencies that provide services to the people within the transgender community. The City’s Transgender Advisory Board, created in 2009, is comprised of nine members. The Board addresses matters relating to advocacy on behalf of transgender rights such as education, community awareness, and empowerment and makes recommendations to Council relative to the adoption of programs, policies or ordinances of benefit to the constituency. The Board meets at West Hollywood City Hall, 8300 Santa Monica Boulevard, on the first Wednesday of each month at 7 p.m.

For additional information about Transgender Day of Remembrance, please contact Bonnie Smith at (323) 848-6371. For more information about Transient, please visit www.transientexhibition.org or contact Mike Che at (323) 848-6377. For people who are deaf or hard of hearing, please call TTY (323) 848-6496.