[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1488 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
117th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. RES. 1488
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.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
November 17, 2022
Ms. Newman (for herself, Ms. Wexton, Ms. Jayapal, Mr. Grijalva, Ms.
Jacobs of California, Mr. Smith of Washington, Mr. Cicilline, Mr.
Evans, Ms. Norton, Ms. Meng, Mr. Takano, Mrs. Carolyn B. Maloney of New
York, Mr. Higgins of New York, Mr. Pocan, Mr. Auchincloss, Ms. Blunt
Rochester, Ms. Schakowsky, Mr. Sherman, Mr. Khanna, Mr. Lynch, Ms.
Wild, Ms. Bonamici, Ms. Davids of Kansas, Mr. Swalwell, Mr. Moulton,
Ms. Pressley, Mr. Larson of Connecticut, Mr. Levin of Michigan, Ms.
Tlaib, Mr. Blumenauer, Ms. Sanchez, Mr. Welch, Mr. Tonko, and Ms. Clark
of Massachusetts) submitted the following resolution; which was
referred to the Committee on the Judiciary
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
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.
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 2022 honors the memory of the lives of
transgender people tragically lost in acts of violence between October
1, 2021, and September 30, 2022;
Whereas the United States is currently experiencing an epidemic of violence
against transgender Americans;
Whereas at least 36 transgender or gender nonconforming people were violently
killed in the United States in 2022, a number many believe to be much
higher due to the prevalence of underreporting or misreporting violence
against this community;
Whereas the lives of Danyale Johnson, Nikai David, Ke'Yahonna Stone, Za'niyah
Williams, Nikki Turietta, Keeva Scatter, Martina Caldera, Semaj
Billingslea, Acey Morrison, Mya Allen, Dede Ricks, Maddie Hofmann, Aaron
Lynch, Kandii Reed, Hayden Davis, Marisela Castro, Cherry Bush, Keshia
Chanel Geter, Martasia Richmond, Kitty Monroe, Shawmayne Giselle Marie,
Brazil Johnson, Sasha Mason, Chanelika Y'Ella Dior Hemingway, Nedra
Sequence Morris, Ray Muscat, Fern Feather, Ariyanna Mitchell, Miia Love
Parker, Kenyatta ``Kesha'' Webster, Kathryn ``Katie'' Newhouse, Tatiana
Labelle, Paloma Vazquez, Matthew Angelo Spampinato, Naomie Skinner,
Cypress Ramos, Duval Princess, Amariey Lej, Ace Scott, Brent Wood,
DeeDee Hall, and Paris Rich were tragically lost in acts of violence
between October 1, 2021, and September 30, 2022;
Whereas the life of Tiffany Banks was tragically lost in an act of violence
since October 1, 2022;
Whereas following the introduction of the Transgender Day of Remembrance
Resolution of 2021, the lives of Cris Blehar, Rubi Dominguez, and Geri
Judd were reported to have been lost to acts of violence between October
1, 2020, and September 30, 2021;
Whereas at least 327 transgender or gender nonconforming people have been
murdered worldwide in 2022, according to the Trans Murder Monitoring
Project;
Whereas violence against transgender Americans 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 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 immigrants have died in American detention centers 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 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 continued introduction of antitransgender legislation has fueled
violence against transgender Americans;
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, and to parents 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;
Whereas Sacramento County Superior Court Judge Andi Mudryk became the first
openly transgender person to be appointed to the bench in the State of
California;
Whereas New Hampshire State Representative James Roesener became the first
openly transgender man to be elected to State Legislature in the United
States;
Whereas Minnesota State Representative Alicia Kozlowski became the first openly
nonbinary person to be elected to the Minnesota State Legislature;
Whereas Montana State Representative Zooey Zephyr became the first openly
transgender woman to be elected to the Montana State Legislature;
Whereas Montana State Representative S.J. Howell became the first openly
nonbinary person elected to the Montana State Legislature; 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 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 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.
<all>