Trans Memorial
| Coordinates | 43°39′58″N 79°22′45″W / 43.6661°N 79.3793°WCoordinates: 43°39′58″N 79°22′45″W / 43.6661°N 79.3793°W Fatal error: The format of the coordinate could not be determined. Parsing failed. |
|---|---|
| Location | Barbara Hall Park, Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Designer | Community members |
| Material | Stone, chalk, mixed media |
| Dedicated date | 2014 |
| Dedicated to | Trans people and their lived names |
The Trans Memorial is a memorial for transgender people located in Toronto, Canada. It was originally created as a temporary memorial by local trans women on July 10, 2014.[1] It was inspired by the recent passing of a community member who was deadnamed by her family of origin. In the words of one mourner, "Our friends are being buried with a stranger's name".[citation needed]
Envisioned as a place where trans people and their lived names could be honoured and remembered, it is located in Toronto's Church Wellesley area in Barbara Hall Park (formerly Cawthra Park) near the Toronto AIDS Memorial.
History
Following the model of tactical urbanism and ghost bikes, transitory materials were deliberately chosen[citation needed], in part because temporary memorials have long been recognized as a form of protected public speech in Canada and are widely respected as such in Toronto.[2]
Shortly after the installation of the Trans Memorial, and in preparation for the official renaming ceremony,[3] "over zealous"[citation needed] clean-up crews power-washed and chemically treated the wall, removing the first instance of the memorial in an act of literal and figurative erasure.[4][not in citation given]
The memorial was immediately restored. Following the official ceremony, Barbara Hall, a human rights advocate and long-time ally of trans people[5] met with community members to pay her respects.[6]
Since then, despite subsequent erasures and restorations[7] the memorial has acted as a community hub for vigils,[8] Trans Day of Remembrance events, and a focal point for trans advocacy.[9]
Recognizing the cultural significance of the park as a gathering space for the LGBTQ community, and the need to honour the park's memorials, the City of Toronto invested in a major redesign beginning in 2023.[10] Staged improvements began in 2025 and are expected to be fully completed by 2027.[11]
See also
- Transgender Day of Remembrance
- Deadnaming
- Chosen family
- Transgender Memorial Garden
- Archivo de la Memoria Trans
- List of LGBTQ monuments and memorials
References
- ↑ "Trans memorial appears in Barbara Hall Park". Xtra Magazine. 2014-07-16. Retrieved 2025-11-19.
- ↑ "City of Toronto - Special Recognition for Memorials:" (PDF). City of Toronto. Retrieved 2025-11-19.
- ↑ "Park renamed in honour of former mayor Barbara Hall". Toronto Star Newspaper. 2014-07-15. Retrieved 2026-01-12.
- ↑ "Cawthra Park officially becomes Barbara Hall Park". Xtra Magazine. Retrieved 2025-11-19.
- ↑ "ProudPolitics welcomes Barbara Hall, Chief Commissioner of the Ontario Human Rights Commission, to our Advisory Council". Proud Politics. 2013-07-08. Retrieved 2026-01-12.
- ↑ "Hall pays respects at trans memorial". Xtra Magazine.
- ↑ "Toronto trans memorial erased for the second time". Xtra Magazine. 2017-11-09. Retrieved 2026-01-12.
- ↑ "Toronto advocacy group hosting vigil for Trans Day of Remembrance". NOW Toronto Magazine. 2024-11-20. Retrieved 2026-01-12.
- ↑ "Vigil and march for Alloura Wells". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. 2021-07-22. Retrieved 2026-01-12.
- ↑ "Toronto is revamping its AIDS Memorial and wants your input". NOW Toronto Magazine. 2023-11-19. Retrieved 2026-01-12.
- ↑ "Barbara Hall Park Improvements". City of Toronto. 2023-02-08. Retrieved 2026-01-12.
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