[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 561 Introduced in House (IH)]

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114th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 561

       Expressing support for support of transgender acceptance.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           December 10, 2015

  Mr. Honda (for himself, Mr. Grijalva, Mr. Kennedy, Ms. Norton, Mr. 
Quigley, Mr. Pocan, Mr. Lowenthal, Ms. Lee, Mr. Ted Lieu of California, 
 Ms. Speier, Mr. Gutierrez, Mrs. Watson Coleman, Mr. Pallone, Mr. Van 
Hollen, Ms. Ros-Lehtinen, Mr. Keating, Ms. Bonamici, Mr. McDermott, Mr. 
McGovern, and Mr. Takano) submitted the following resolution; which was 
               referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
       Expressing support for support of transgender acceptance.

Whereas at least 700,000 adults identify as transgender across our Nation;
Whereas every person has an innate gender identity, and transgender people have 
        a deeply held gender identity or gender expression that differs from 
        their assigned sex at birth;
Whereas our country needs more data on the transgender community for an accurate 
        representation of the transgender population and their experiences;
Whereas the United States Government should modernize its surveys so that 
        transgender individuals can be counted along with everyone else;
Whereas violence against the transgender community is a state of emergency for 
        our Nation which calls for urgent action based on an understanding of 
        the daily challenges transgender people face, whether it be harassment, 
        discrimination, or violence for simply being who they are;
Whereas at least 21 transgender individuals have been murdered in our Nation 
        during 2015, with most being women of color;
Whereas according to the 2011 National Transgender Discrimination Survey, 22 
        percent of transgender people who had interacted with police reported 
        bias-based harassment from police, with transgender people of color 
        reporting higher rates and 15 percent reporting being sexually assaulted 
        while in police custody or incarceration, and almost half (46 percent) 
        of all transgender people reported they would be uncomfortable seeking 
        police assistance;
Whereas there is an increasing legal consensus that Federal sex discrimination 
        laws prohibit bias based on sexual orientation and gender identity, 
        there is a continuing lack of and need for explicit protections in 
        employment, education, housing, public accommodations and other settings 
        to ensure individuals' rights are understood and respected;
Whereas 20 percent of transgender people will experience homelessness, with more 
        than half reporting being harassed at a homeless shelter by residents 
        and staff;
Whereas transgender people continue to experience discriminatory and unlawful 
        denials of health care and coverage, including anti-transgender 
        insurance exclusions;
Whereas 82 percent of transgender youth report that they feel unsafe at school, 
        44 percent had been physically assaulted, 67 percent had been bullied 
        online, and 64 percent had reported their property stolen or destroyed;
Whereas people of all ages, groups, and backgrounds may be victims of bullying, 
        marginalization, and discrimination, and bullying may contribute to or 
        worsen depression, anxiety, social isolation, or suicidality;
Whereas transgender people are disproportionately impacted by identification 
        documents reflecting their gender identity--according to a 2014 study by 
        the Williams Institute, an estimated 84,000 transgender individuals are 
        disproportionately affected by strict voter ID laws across ten States;
Whereas it is estimated that more than 15,000 dedicated transgender members of 
        our military are forced to serve in silence because of medically 
        unjustified policies; and
Whereas America's diversity is one of our greatest strengths; and our great 
        Nation strives to promote the principles of equality and justice, and 
        the inalienable rights of all people to life, liberty, and the pursuit 
        of happiness: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) recognizes the systematic and structural challenges 
        facing the transgender community and the need for action to 
        improve safety and opportunity for transgender people; and
            (2) supports the transgender community and allies through 
        the LGBT Equality Caucus and Transgender Equality Task Force.
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