Title: Supporting the goals and principles of Transgender Day of Remembrance of memorializing the lives lost this year to antitransgender violence.
Policy area: Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues

Summary:
This resolution expresses support for the principles of Transgender Day of Remembrance, memorializing the lives lost to anti-transgender violence this year.

[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 814 Introduced in House (IH)]

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117th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 814

 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 18, 2021

 Ms. Newman (for herself, Ms. Wexton, Ms. Jayapal, Ms. Schakowsky, Ms. 
 Tlaib, Mr. Quigley, Ms. Wild, Mr. Higgins of New York, Mr. Payne, Mr. 
Moulton, Mr. Espaillat, Ms. Jacobs of California, Ms. Norton, Ms. Dean, 
Ms. Pressley, Ms. Bonamici, Mr. Pallone, Mr. Auchincloss, Mr. Danny K. 
 Davis of Illinois, Mrs. Carolyn B. Maloney of New York, Mr. Grijalva, 
Mr. Swalwell, Mr. Cicilline, Mr. Gomez, Mr. Crist, Mrs. Watson Coleman, 
   Ms. Davids of Kansas, Mr. Khanna, Ms. Meng, Mr. Bowman, Ms. Leger 
Fernandez, Mr. Takano, Mr. Torres of New York, Mr. Yarmuth, Mr. Pocan, 
   Mr. Evans, Mr. Pappas, Mr. Larson of Connecticut, Mr. Neguse, Ms. 
  Sanchez, Ms. Scanlon, Mr. Kahele, Mr. Aguilar, Mr. Trone, Mr. Sean 
 Patrick Maloney of New York, Mr. Jones, Mr. Nadler, Mr. Gallego, Mr. 
Tonko, Ms. Williams of Georgia, Mr. Lynch, Mr. Malinowski, Mr. Kildee, 
Ms. Lee of California, Ms. DelBene, Mr. Welch, Ms. Adams, Mr. Doggett, 
 Mr. Levin of Michigan, Mr. Keating, Mr. Garcia of Illinois, Ms. Clark 
of Massachusetts, Ms. McCollum, and Mr. Carson) 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 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 2021 honors the memory of those lives 
        tragically lost in acts of antitransgender violence between October 1, 
        2020, and September 30, 2021;
Whereas the United States is currently experiencing an epidemic of violence 
        against transgender Americans;
Whereas 2021 is officially the deadliest year on record for hateful violence 
        against transgender Americans including undocumented transgender 
        immigrants;
Whereas at least 47 transgender or gender nonconforming people were violently 
        killed in the United States in 2021, a number many believe to be much 
        higher due to the prevalence of underreporting or misreporting violence 
        against this community;
Whereas the lives of Felycya Harris, Brooklyn Deshuna, Sara Blackwood, Angel 
        Unique, Skylar Heath, Yunieski Carey Herrera, Asia Jynae Foster, 
        Chae'Meshia Simms, Kimberly Fial, Jaheim Pugh Jaheim Barbie, Courtney 
        ``Eshay'' Key, Alexandria Winchester, Tyianna Alexander, Samuel Edmund 
        Damian Valentin, Bianca ``Muffin'' Bankz, Dominique Jackson, Fifty 
        Bandz, Alexus Braxton, Chyna Carrillo, Jeffrey ``JJ'' Bright and Jasmine 
        Cannady (siblings), Jenna Franks, Diamond Kyree Sanders, Rayanna Pardo, 
        Jaida Peterson, Dominique Lucious, Remy Fennell, Tiara Banks, Natalia 
        Smut, Iris Santos, Tiffany Thomas, Keri Washington, Jahaira DeAlto, 
        Whispering Wind Bear Spirit, Sophie Vasquez, Danika ``Danny'' Henson, 
        Serenity Hollis, Oliver ``Ollie'' Taylor, Thomas Hardin, Poe Black, EJ 
        Boykin, Aidelen Evans, Taya Ashton, Shai Vanderpump, Tierramarie Lewis, 
        Miss CoCo, Pooh Johnson, Disaya Monaee, Briana Hamilton, and Kier Lapri 
        Kartier were needlessly ended at the hands of transphobic violence 
        between October 1, 2020, and September 30, 2021;
Whereas the lives of Mel Groves, Royal Poetical Starz, Zoella ``Zoey'' Rose 
        Martinez, Jo Acker, Jessi Hart, Rikkey Outumuro, Jenny De Leon, 
        Marquiisha Lawrence, and Angel Naira were needlessly ended at the hands 
        of transphobic violence since October 1, 2021;
Whereas at least 375 transgender or gender nonconforming people have been 
        murdered worldwide in 2021, an increase of 7 percent from the 2020 
        update, according to the Trans Murder Monitoring Project;
Whereas violence against transgender Americans disproportionately targets 
        transgender women of color;
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 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 dignity and 
        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 Admiral Rachel L. Levine, M.D., became the first openly transgender 
        person confirmed by the Senate to a Federal post as Assistant Secretary 
        of Health for the Department of Health and Human Services, and the first 
        openly transgender 4-star officer to lead the United States Public 
        Health Service Commissioned Corps, 1 of the 8 uniformed services; 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 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;
            (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.
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