[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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