Supporting the goals and principles of Transgender Day of Remembrance of memorializing the lives lost this year to antitransgender violence.

IV 116TH CONGRESS 2D SESSION H. RES. 1234 Supporting the goals and principles of Transgender Day of Remembrance of memorializing the lives lost this year to antitransgender violence. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES NOVEMBER 20, 2020 Mr. KENNEDY (for himself, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Ms. JOHNSON of Texas, Ms. NORTON, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. QUIGLEY, Mr. GOMEZ, Ms. HAALAND, Ms. BONAMICI, Ms. WEXTON, Mr. PAPPAS, Mr. SOTO, Ms. DAVIDS of Kan- sas, Ms. ESCOBAR, Mr. KHANNA, Mr. PALLONE, Ms. SCANLON, Ms. VELA´ZQUEZ, Ms. TITUS, Mr. MOULTON, Mr. KILDEE, Mr. CA´RDENAS, Ms. MENG, Ms. SA´NCHEZ, Mr. LYNCH, and Mr. POCAN) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judici- ary RESOLUTION Supporting the goals and principles of Transgender Day of Remembrance of memorializing the lives lost this year to antitransgender violence. Whereas Transgender Day of Remembrance 2020 honors the memory of the transgender lives tragically lost in acts of antitransgender violence between October 1, 2019, and September 30, 2020; Whereas the United States is currently experiencing an epi- demic of violence against transgender people; VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:57 Nov 20, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR1234.IH HR1234 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 2 •HRES 1234 IH Whereas Transgender Day of Remembrance was created fol- lowing the 1998 murder of Rita Hester, a transgender woman of color, whose murder has yet to be solved; Whereas the following year on November 20, 1999, Gwen- dolyn Ann Smith created the first Transgender Day of Remembrance in honor of Rita Hester and other transgender people whose lives were lost due to violence; Whereas 2020 marks one of the deadliest years on record for hate violence against transgender Americans including undocumented transgender immigrants; Whereas at least 37 transgender or gender nonconforming people were violently killed in 2020; Whereas at least 350 transgender or gender nonconforming people have been murdered worldwide in 2020 according to the Trans Murder Monitoring Project; Whereas violence against transgender Americans dispropor- tionately targets transgender women of color; Whereas many incidences of violence against transgender in- dividuals are unreported or misreported; Whereas the COVID–19 health pandemic has had a dis- proportionate impact on transgender Americans; Whereas transgender Americans face barriers to health care, such as lack of health insurance, stigma and discrimina- tion, and higher rates of unemployment; Whereas transgender people disproportionately suffer from higher rates of homelessness, with reports suggesting as many as one-third of transgender people and one-half of transgender people who are Black, Middle Eastern, mul- tiracial, or undocumented have experienced homelessness; VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:57 Nov 20, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR1234.IH HR1234 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 3 •HRES 1234 IH Whereas almost half of all transgender people in the United States will attempt suicide at one point in their lifetime, a rate that is eight times higher than the rest of the United States population; Whereas asylum seekers and refugees who are transgender experience disproportionate rates of violence, including sexual violence, as they seek safety; Whereas transgender people who are housed in institutional settings, including jails, prisons, and immigration deten- tion centers, are subject to high levels of violence and dis- crimination; Whereas transgender students are significantly more likely to experience bullying or harassment at school due to their gender identity; Whereas understanding and addressing the challenges faced by transgender Americans is hampered by a severe lack of data; Whereas Congress and the executive branch must act to pro- tect and preserve the lives of all Americans, including transgender Americans, through inclusive legislation and policies that treat everyone with respect; Whereas the transgender community has shown great resil- ience in the face of adversity in all aspects of their lives, including housing, education, employment, and health care; Whereas six transgender candidates were elected to State of- fice in the 2020 general election, increasing the total number of transgender elected officials in State legisla- tures to seven; Whereas voters in the State of Delaware elected the Nation’s first openly transgender State senator; and VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:57 Nov 20, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR1234.IH HR1234 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 4 •HRES 1234 IH Whereas the transgender community has demonstrated tre- mendous leadership since the courageous actions of many community members, including Marsha P. Johnson, at the Stonewall uprising of 1969: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 1 (1) supports the goals and principles of 2 Transgender Day of Remembrance of memorializing 3 the lives lost this year to antitransgender violence; 4 (2) recognizes that the alarming trends of in- 5 creased violence against transgender Americans, par- 6 ticularly transgender women of color, are unaccept- 7 able, and that finding solutions to these issues must 8 be a pressing priority for the United States Govern- 9 ment; 10 (3) supports efforts to study, respond to, and 11 prevent violence against transgender people; 12 (4) affirms the principle that every person is 13 endowed with basic human rights and that our Na- 14 tion’s commitment to this principle must encompass 15 every single individual; and 16 (5) recognizes the bravery and resilience of the 17 transgender community as it fights for equal dignity 18 and respect. 19 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:57 Nov 20, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\HR1234.IH HR1234 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS