[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 190 (Wednesday, November 15, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Page S5550]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

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     SENATE RESOLUTION 464--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

  Ms. HIRONO (for herself, Ms. Baldwin, Ms. Butler, Mr. Fetterman, Mr. 
Markey, Ms. Warren, Mr. Wyden, Mr. Merkley, and Mr. Schatz) submitted 
the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the 
Judiciary:

                              S. Res. 464

       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 2023 honors the 
     memory of the lives of transgender people tragically lost in 
     acts of violence between October 1, 2022, and September 30, 
     2023;
       Whereas the United States is currently experiencing an 
     epidemic of violence against transgender people of the United 
     States;
       Whereas at least 33 transgender or gender nonconforming 
     people were violently killed in the United States in 2023, a 
     number many believe to be much higher due to the prevalence 
     of underreporting or misreporting violence against this 
     community;
       Whereas the lives of Tiffany Banks, Kelly Loving, Daniel 
     Aston, Diamond Jackson-McDonald, Destiny Howard, Mar'Quis 
     ``MJ'' Jackson, Caelee Love-Light, Jasmine ``Star'' Mack; KC 
     Johnson, Unique Banks, Zachee Imanitwitaho, Maria Jose Rivera 
     Rivera, Chashay Ashanti Henderson, Paris Aminah, Tortuguita, 
     Ta'Ssiyah Woodland, Ashley Burton, Koko Da Doll, Banko Brown, 
     Ashia Davis, Chanell Perez Ortiz, Jacob Williamson, Camdyn 
     Rider, DeVonnie J'Rae Johnson, Thomas ``Tom-Tom'' Robertson, 
     YOKO, Luis Angel Diaz Castro, Sherlyn Marjorie, Emma 
     Borhanian, Clayton Stephens, Ome Gandhi, Lovely Page, 
     Bre'Asia Banks, and Alexa Sokova were tragically lost in acts 
     of violence between October 1, 2022, and September 30, 2023;
       Whereas, following the introduction of the Transgender Day 
     of Remembrance Resolution of 2022, the lives of Morgan Moore, 
     Kylie Monali, and London Starr were reported to have been 
     lost to acts of violence between October 1, 2021, and 
     September 30, 2022;
       Whereas at least 285 transgender or gender nonconforming 
     people have been murdered worldwide in 2023, according to the 
     Transgender Day of Remembrance memorial page from Trans Lives 
     Matter;
       Whereas violence against transgender people of the United 
     States 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 people of the United 
     States;
       Whereas transgender people of the United States 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 \1/3\ of all transgender women and \1/2\ of transgender 
     women 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 least once, and over 1 in 20 
     will attempt suicide each year, a rate that is almost 10 
     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 detention 
     centers in the United States 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 and harassment at school due to their 
     gender identity;
       Whereas understanding and addressing the challenges faced 
     by transgender people of the United States is hampered by a 
     severe lack of data;
       Whereas Congress and the executive branch must act to 
     protect and preserve the lives of all people of the United 
     States, including those that are transgender, through 
     inclusive legislation and policies that treat everyone with 
     dignity and respect;
       Whereas the continued introduction of anti-transgender 
     legislation has fueled violence against transgender people of 
     the United States;
       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, worsening mental health among transgender 
     youth and adults, and parents who are 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; 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
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (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 people of the United States, 
     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 the commitment of the United 
     States 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 the society of 
     the United States.

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