[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 722 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>






116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 722

        Supporting the goals of Transgender Day of Remembrance.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           November 20, 2019

    Mr. Kennedy (for himself, Ms. Davids of Kansas, Ms. Norton, Ms. 
 Schakowsky, Mr. Lowenthal, Mr. Pappas, Mr. Grijalva, Ms. Haaland, Ms. 
 Craig, Ms. Velazquez, Ms. McCollum, Mr. Pallone, Ms. Jackson Lee, Ms. 
Garcia of Texas, Mr. Carson of Indiana, Ms. Scanlon, Mr. Espaillat, Mr. 
   Khanna, Mr. Smith of Washington, Mr. Blumenauer, Mr. Nadler, Ms. 
 Wasserman Schultz, Ms. Tlaib, Mr. Sires, Mr. Phillips, Mr. McEachin, 
  Ms. Speier, Ms. Meng, Ms. Ocasio-Cortez, Mr. Pocan, Ms. Wexton, Mr. 
 Johnson of Georgia, Mr. Crist, Ms. Pressley, Ms. Omar, Ms. Bonamici, 
   Mr. Carbajal, Mrs. Lee of Nevada, Mr. Ted Lieu of California, Mr. 
Takano, Ms. Shalala, Ms. Castor of Florida, Mr. Cicilline, Ms. Sanchez, 
and Mr. Correa) submitted the following resolution; which was referred 
                   to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
        Supporting the goals of Transgender Day of Remembrance.

Whereas an estimated 1.4 million American adults are transgender;
Whereas transgender people have contributed much to American society but 
        continue to face severe discrimination and violence;
Whereas, in 1998, Rita Hester, a transgender woman of color, was murdered, and 
        her murder has yet to be solved;
Whereas, the following year on November 20, 1999, Gwendolyn Ann Smith created 
        the first Transgender Day of Remembrance in honor of Rita Hester and 
        other transgender people who had lost their lives to violence, and this 
        date has been commemorated ever since;
Whereas the United States is currently witnessing an epidemic of violence 
        against transgender people, in particular transgender women of color, 
        with at least 28 members of this community known to have been killed in 
        2018 and at least 22 killed thus far in 2019;
Whereas the United States has one of the highest rates of murder of transgender 
        people;
Whereas young Black transgender women have a far greater chance of being 
        murdered as compared to the general public;
Whereas reports of violence and killings of transgender people are likely to be 
        significantly undercounted due to a variety of factors including the 
        misgendering of victims and fear of reporting;
Whereas transgender people suffer from disproportionate rates of homelessness, 
        with reports suggesting as many as one-third of transgender people have 
        experienced homelessness;
Whereas 19 percent of all transgender people report being refused medical care, 
        with even higher rates for transgender people of color;
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 around the world, transgender people face violence and discrimination 
        based on their gender identity and expression, which is further 
        exacerbated for transgender people of color, transgender people from a 
        low socioeconomic status, transgender people with disabilities, or 
        transgender people who belong to other marginalized groups;
Whereas asylum seekers and refugees that identify as 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 detention centers, are subject to high 
        levels of violence and discrimination;
Whereas transgender students are significantly more likely to experience 
        bullying or harassment at school due to their gender identity;
Whereas transgender Americans face rates of unemployment that are far greater 
        than the general population;
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 protect and preserve the 
        lives of all Americans, including transgender Americans, through 
        inclusive legislation and policies that treat everyone with respect;
Whereas recent regulations and other actions by the executive branch have 
        directly targeted transgender Americans in all aspects of their lives, 
        from their experiences in schools and health care settings, to their 
        ability to continue to serve in the military, to seek redress for 
        workplace discrimination, or to even seek emergency shelter;
Whereas the transgender community has shown great resilience in the face of 
        adversity in all aspects of their lives including housing, education, 
        employment, and health care; and
Whereas the transgender community has demonstrated tremendous 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) supports the goals and principles of Transgender Day of 
        Remembrance of memorializing the lives lost this year to 
        antitransgender violence;
            (2) recognizes that the current trends of increased 
        violence, particularly violence against transgender women of 
        color, are unacceptable, and finding solutions to these issues 
        must be a pressing priority for the United States Government;
            (3) supports efforts to study, respond to, and prevent 
        violence against transgender people including through enhanced, 
        responsible data collection;
            (4) affirms the principle that every person is endowed with 
        basic human rights and that our Nation's commitment to this 
        principle must encompass every single individual; and
            (5) recognizes the bravery and resilience of the 
        transgender community as it fights for equal dignity and 
        respect.
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