People gathered in Jubilee Square in Woking to observe commemorations for the Trans Day of Remembrance.
Trans Day of Remembrance is an annual commemoration day for the members of the trans community, who have lost their lives as a result of anti-transgender violence in the last year.
It was founded in 1999 by trans woman Gwendolyn Smith, following the murder of Rita Hester, a trans woman who was killed in 1998.
This event on Wednesday (November 20) featured a couple of minutes’ silence to remember the 369 members of trans and gender-diverse people who had died since the 2018 day, with candles lit, speeches and the Peacocks Shopping Centre lit up in the colours of the transgender flag. The evening ended with a toast at a local bar.
Stephen Ireland, founder of Pride in Surrey , said he is very pleased with the way local authorities responded to the event.
"I think Woking Borough Council and Woking Shopping have come to really understand the community. Hopefully other councils will also take notice."
He says local events like these are particularly important at a time of increasing crimes against the transgender community.
According to a recent Stonewall survey, one in five members of the LGBT community, or two in five members of the trans community, have experienced an incident as a result of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
He also said it can be difficult for many people to make their way to London or Brighton, the next nearest places to commemorate the event.
Claire Green is a trans volunteer of Pride in Surrey who spoke as part of the event, and said: "This was another moment in history for Surrey with it being the first Trans Day of Remembrance recognised by the local LGBTQ+ community and allies."
Moving forward, Stephen said he is campaigning to harden sanctions against hate crime.
