117 HRES 1488 IH: Supporting the goals and principles of Transgender Day of Remembrance by recognizing the epidemic of violence toward transgender people and memorializing the lives lost this year.
U.S. House of Representatives
2022-11-17
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IV
117th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. RES. 1488
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
November 17, 2022
Ms. Newman (for herself, Ms. Wexton, Ms. Jayapal, Mr. Grijalva, Ms. Jacobs of California, Mr. Smith of Washington, Mr. Cicilline, Mr. Evans, Ms. Norton, Ms. Meng, Mr. Takano, Mrs. Carolyn B. Maloney of New York, Mr. Higgins of New York, Mr. Pocan, Mr. Auchincloss, Ms. Blunt Rochester, Ms. Schakowsky, Mr. Sherman, Mr. Khanna, Mr. Lynch, Ms. Wild, Ms. Bonamici, Ms. Davids of Kansas, Mr. Swalwell, Mr. Moulton, Ms. Pressley, Mr. Larson of Connecticut, Mr. Levin of Michigan, Ms. Tlaib, Mr. Blumenauer, Ms. Sánchez, Mr. Welch, Mr. Tonko, and Ms. Clark of Massachusetts) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary
RESOLUTION
Supporting the goals and principles of Transgender Day of Remembrance by recognizing the epidemic of violence toward transgender people and memorializing the lives lost this year.
Whereas Transgender Day of Remembrance was created following the 1998 killing of Rita Hester, a transgender woman of color, whose 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 whose lives were lost due to violence;
Whereas Transgender Day of Remembrance 2022 honors the memory of the lives of transgender people tragically lost in acts of violence between October 1, 2021, and September 30, 2022;
Whereas the United States is currently experiencing an epidemic of violence against transgender Americans;
Whereas at least 36 transgender or gender nonconforming people were violently killed in the United States in 2022, a number many believe to be much higher due to the prevalence of underreporting or misreporting violence against this community;
Whereas the lives of Danyale Johnson, Nikai David, Ke’Yahonna Stone, Za’niyah Williams, Nikki Turietta, Keeva Scatter, Martina Caldera, Semaj Billingslea, Acey Morrison, Mya Allen, Dede Ricks, Maddie Hofmann, Aaron Lynch, Kandii Reed, Hayden Davis, Marisela Castro, Cherry Bush, Keshia Chanel Geter, Martasia Richmond, Kitty Monroe, Shawmaynè Giselle Marie, Brazil Johnson, Sasha Mason, Chanelika Y’Ella Dior Hemingway, Nedra Sequence Morris, Ray Muscat, Fern Feather, Ariyanna Mitchell, Miia Love Parker, Kenyatta “Kesha” Webster, Kathryn “Katie” Newhouse, Tatiana Labelle, Paloma Vazquez, Matthew Angelo Spampinato, Naomie Skinner, Cypress Ramos, Duval Princess, Amariey Lej, Ace Scott, Brent Wood, DeeDee Hall, and Paris Rich were tragically lost in acts of violence between October 1, 2021, and September 30, 2022;
Whereas the life of Tiffany Banks was tragically lost in an act of violence since October 1, 2022;
Whereas following the introduction of the Transgender Day of Remembrance Resolution of 2021, the lives of Cris Blehar, Rubi Dominguez, and Geri Judd were reported to have been lost to acts of violence between October 1, 2020, and September 30, 2021;
Whereas at least 327 transgender or gender nonconforming people have been murdered worldwide in 2022, according to the Trans Murder Monitoring Project;
Whereas violence against transgender Americans disproportionately impacts transgender women of color;
Whereas Black transgender women are the most targeted group to experience violence in the United States;
Whereas the COVID–19 global health pandemic has had a disproportionate impact on transgender Americans;
Whereas transgender Americans face barriers to health care, such as lack of health insurance, stigma and discrimination, 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, multiracial, or undocumented have experienced homelessness;
Whereas almost half of all transgender people in the United States will attempt suicide at 1 point in their lifetimes, a rate that is 8 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 immigrants have died in American detention centers due to medical neglect, injury, and abuse at the hands of staff;
Whereas transgender people who are housed in institutional settings such as jails and prisons 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 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 dignity and respect;
Whereas the continued introduction of antitransgender legislation has fueled violence against transgender Americans;
Whereas the pressure some State legislatures have pushed on State and local authorities to treat gender-affirming health care as child abuse has led to a spike in bullying and assault in schools, and to parents afraid their children will be deprived of medical care or be removed from their homes;
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;
Whereas Sacramento County Superior Court Judge Andi Mudryk became the first openly transgender person to be appointed to the bench in the State of California;
Whereas New Hampshire State Representative James Roesener became the first openly transgender man to be elected to State Legislature in the United States;
Whereas Minnesota State Representative Alicia Kozlowski became the first openly nonbinary person to be elected to the Minnesota State Legislature;
Whereas Montana State Representative Zooey Zephyr became the first openly transgender woman to be elected to the Montana State Legislature;
Whereas Montana State Representative S.J. Howell became the first openly nonbinary person elected to the Montana State Legislature; and
Whereas the transgender community has demonstrated tremendous leadership since the courageous actions of many community members, including Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, at the Stonewall uprising of 1969: Now, therefore, be it
That the House of Representatives—
(1)
supports the goals and principles of Transgender Day of Remembrance by recognizing the epidemic of violence toward transgender people and memorializing the lives lost this year;
(2)
recognizes that the alarming trends of increased violence against transgender Americans, particularly transgender women of color, are unacceptable, and that 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;
(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;
(5)
recognizes the bravery and resilience of the transgender community as it fights for equal dignity and respect; and
(6)
recognizes the multitude of contributions and cultural impact the transgender community has had on American society.