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. SCHA-
KOWSKY, Mr. LOWENTHAL, Mr. PAPPAS, Mr. GRIJALVA, Ms. HAALAND, 
Ms. CRAIG, Ms. VELA´ZQUEZ, Ms. MCCOLLUM, Mr. PALLONE, Ms. JACK-
SON LEE, Ms. GARCIA of Texas, Mr. CARSON of Indiana, Ms. SCANLON, 
Mr. ESPAILLAT, Mr. KHANNA, Mr. SMITH of Washington, Mr. BLU-
MENAUER, 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 Amer-
ican 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, Gwen-
dolyn 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 epi-
demic of violence against transgender people, in par-
ticular 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 vari-
ety 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 re-
fused 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 ex-
pression, which is further exacerbated for transgender 
people of color, transgender people from a low socio-
economic 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 deten-
tion centers, are subject to high levels of violence and dis-
crimination; 
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 pro-
tect 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 dis-
crimination, or to even seek emergency shelter; 
Whereas the transgender community has shown great resil-
ience 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 tre-
mendous 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 in-
creased 
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 includ-
ing through enhanced, responsible data collection; 
(4) affirms the principle that every person is 
endowed with basic human rights and that our Na-
tion’s commitment to this principle must encompass 
every single individual; and 
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(5) recognizes the bravery and resilience of the 
transgender community as it fights for equal dignity 
and respect. 
Æ 
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