IV 

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. VELA ́ZQUEZ, 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. SA ́NCHEZ, 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; 


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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, 


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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 


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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 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) supports the goals and principles of 

3 Transgender Day of Remembrance of memorializing 

4 the lives lost this year to antitransgender violence; 

5 (2) recognizes that the current trends of in6 creased violence, particularly violence against 

7 transgender women of color, are unacceptable, and 

8 finding solutions to these issues must be a pressing 

9 priority for the United States Government; 

10 (3) supports efforts to study, respond to, and 

11 prevent violence against transgender people includ12 ing through enhanced, responsible data collection; 

13 (4) affirms the principle that every person is 

14 endowed with basic human rights and that our Na15 tion’s commitment to this principle must encompass 

16 every single individual; and 


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1 (5) recognizes the bravery and resilience of the 

2 transgender community as it fights for equal dignity 

3 and respect. 

Æ 


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