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[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1234 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>

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 Kansas, Ms. 
   Escobar, Mr. Khanna, Mr. Pallone, Ms. Scanlon, Ms. Velazquez, Ms. 
 Titus, Mr. Moulton, Mr. Kildee, Mr. Cardenas, Ms. Meng, Ms. Sanchez, 
Mr. Lynch, and Mr. Pocan) submitted the following resolution; which was 
               referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                               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 epidemic of violence 
        against transgender people;
Whereas Transgender Day of Remembrance was created following 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, 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 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 disproportionately targets 
        transgender women of color;
Whereas many incidences of violence against transgender individuals are 
        unreported or misreported;
Whereas the COVID-19 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 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 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 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 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 six transgender candidates were elected to State office in the 2020 
        general election, increasing the total number of transgender elected 
        officials in State legislatures to seven;
Whereas voters in the State of Delaware elected the Nation's first openly 
        transgender State senator; 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 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; and
            (5) recognizes the bravery and resilience of the 
        transgender community as it fights for equal dignity and 
        respect.
                                 <all>
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