Across generations, transgender, non-binary, and gender diverse (trans) people have shaped culture, built movements for equity and justice, and advanced civil rights. From the arts to advocacy, trans people have continually expanded what belonging and community looks like, often while facing enormous barriers to safety, care, and recognition.
Everyone deserves to live safely and authentically. This week is Transgender Awareness Week and it calls on us to rise above the noise and see what’s real: trans people are cherished across communities in Colorado.
Transgender Awareness Week & Transgender Day of Remembrance
Transgender Awareness Week offer moments to reflect, honor, and act. It is a time to celebrate and uplift trans communities by fostering solidarity and collective power. By standing together with our trans neighbors and loved ones, challenging anti-trans legislation, and amplifying affirming stories, we can help build a world where every person can live safely and authentically and a Colorado where everyone belongs.
On November 20, communities across the nation and globe will gather for Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDoR), honoring those whose lives were lost to anti-trans violence and hate. Started in 1999 by advocate Gwendolyn Ann Smith to commemorate Rita Hester, a transgender woman killed in 1998, TDoR has grown into an international tradition of mourning, reflection, and resilience.
As we remember those taken too soon, we also recognize the strength of those still here. Trans people continue to live, lead, and love in the face of extraordinary challenge. Their presence is not new, not rare, and not alone, and their resilience keeps the flame of remembrance burning toward justice.
Colorado Walks an Inclusive Path
While federal policy this year has turned away from affirming trans people, Colorado has spent the last decade forging an inclusive path. State laws protect the right to live and work with dignity, ensuring access to affirming health care, accurate identification documents, and safe, welcoming schools and workplaces.
Colorado demonstrates that fairness, compassion, and equity are not partisan ideals, they are shared values that strengthen communities. This approach reflects the broader reality that equity benefits everyone. When people can live freely and authentically, communities are healthier, more connected, and more resilient.
Even as national protections falter, Colorado offers a beacon of light, one rooted in hope, inclusion, and human rights.
Building on Progress Through Civic Engagement
Colorado has made real progress in affirming the rights and dignity of trans people, but the work isn’t finished.
To build on this momentum, we must:
- Lift the voices of those most impacted — centering trans Coloradans, including those of color, youth, rural residents, and others whose experiences are often left out of public discourse.
- Monitor implementation and enforcement — ensuring that agencies, schools, health providers, and workplaces uphold state protections in practice, not just on paper.
- Stay informed and ready — as policies and policy-enforcement evolves, and challenges emerge, civic participation remains key to protecting what has been achieved and advancing what’s next.
Together, we can safeguard progress and continue advancing equity for trans Coloradans.
At The Colorado Health Foundation, we stand in solidarity with Colorado’s trans communities. Guided by our mission to improve the health of all Coloradans and our cornerstone commitment to health equity, we affirm that everyone deserves safety, dignity, and access to care.
Trans people are essential members of our communities, and their health and well-being strengthen us all. We will continue working alongside partners and communities to advance policies, practices, and narratives that ensure every person can live authentically and thrive.
Resources & Opportunities to Learn and Engage
Learn More
- Transgender Awareness Week and TDoR – Human Rights Campaign
- Transgender Awareness Week – GLAAD
- Transgender Awareness Week – Workplace Pride
Attend a Transgender Day of Remembrance Event
Connect with Colorado Organizations