[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 886 Introduced in House (IH)]
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118th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. RES. 886
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 21, 2023
Ms. Jayapal (for herself, Ms. Jacobs, Ms. Adams, Ms. Blunt Rochester,
Ms. Bonamici, Mr. Bowman, Mr. Cardenas, Mr. Carter of Louisiana, Mr.
Casar, Ms. Crockett, Ms. Davids of Kansas, Ms. DelBene, Mr. Deluzio,
Mr. DeSaulnier, Mr. Doggett, Mr. Espaillat, Mr. Evans, Mrs. Fletcher,
Mr. Frost, Mr. Garcia of Illinois, Mr. Robert Garcia of California, Ms.
Garcia of Texas, Mr. Goldman of New York, Mr. Green of Texas, Mr.
Grijalva, Mr. Higgins of New York, Ms. Jackson Lee, Mr. Johnson of
Georgia, Ms. Kamlager-Dove, Mr. Khanna, Mr. Kildee, Mr. Krishnamoorthi,
Ms. Lee of California, Ms. Leger Fernandez, Mr. Lynch, Ms. McCollum,
Mr. McGovern, Mr. Mullin, Mr. Nadler, Ms. Norton, Mr. Peters, Mr.
Phillips, Mr. Pocan, Ms. Pressley, Mr. Quigley, Mrs. Ramirez, Mr. Ruiz,
Ms. Schakowsky, Ms. Stevens, Mr. Swalwell, Mr. Takano, Ms. Tlaib, Mr.
Tonko, Mr. Torres of New York, Ms. Velazquez, Mrs. Watson Coleman, Ms.
Wexton, Ms. Williams of Georgia, Ms. Balint, and Mr. Sherman) 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 2023 honors the memory of the lives of
transgender people tragically lost in acts of violence between October
1, 2022, and September 30, 2023;
Whereas the United States is currently experiencing an epidemic of violence
against transgender Americans;
Whereas at least 33 transgender or gender nonconforming people were violently
killed in the United States in 2023, a number many believe to be much
higher due to the prevalence of underreporting or misreporting violence
against this community;
Whereas the lives of Tiffany Banks, Kelly Loving, Daniel Aston, Diamond Jackson-
McDonald, Destiny Howard, Mar'Quis ``MJ'' Jackson, Caelee Love-Light,
Jasmine ``Star'' Mack; KC Johnson, Unique Banks, Zachee Imanitwitaho,
Maria Jose Rivera Rivera, Chashay Ashanti Henderson, Paris Aminah,
Tortuguita, Ta'Siyah Woodland, Ashley Burton, Koko Da Doll, Banko Brown,
Ashia Davis, Chanell Perez Ortiz, Jacob Williamson, Camdyn Rider,
DeVonnie J'Rae Johnson, Thomas ``Tom-Tom'' Robertson, YOKO, Luis Angel
Diaz Castro, Sherlyn Marjorie, Emma Borhanian, Clayton Stephens, Ome
Gandhi, Lovely Page, Bre'Asia Banks, Alexa Sokova were tragically lost
in acts of violence between October 1, 2022, and September 30, 2023;
Whereas following the introduction of the Transgender Day of Remembrance
Resolution of 2022, the lives of Morgan Moore, Kylie Monali, and London
Starr were reported to have been lost to acts of violence between
October 1, 2021, and September 30, 2022;
Whereas at least 285 transgender or gender nonconforming people have been
murdered worldwide in 2023, according to the Transgender Day of
Remembrance memorial page from Trans Lives Matters;
Whereas on the eve of Transgender Day of Remembrance in 2022, two transgender
people--Kelly Loving and Daniel Aston--and three others--Derrick Rump,
Ashley Paugh, and Raymond Green Vance--were murdered, and dozens more
injured, inside Club Q in an act of anti-LGBTQI+ extremism;
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 transgender Americans face barriers to health care, such as lack of
health insurance, stigma and discrimination, higher rates of
unemployment, and, in an increasingly higher number of States, legal
barriers to accessing medical care;
Whereas transgender people disproportionately suffer from higher rates of
homelessness, with reports suggesting as many as one-third of
transgender women and one-half of transgender women who are Black,
Middle Eastern, multiracial, or undocumented have ever experienced
homelessness;
Whereas almost half of all transgender people in the United States will attempt
suicide at least once, and over 1 in 20 will attempt suicide each year,
a rate that is almost 10 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 anti-transgender legislation has fueled
violence against transgender Americans;
Whereas efforts to restrict access to gender-affirming healthcare has stripped
many transgender people of access to medically necessary care, led to a
spike in poor mental health and suicidality among transgender youth and
adults, increased bullying and assault in schools, and left parents
afraid their children may be removed from their homes because they
support their transgender child;
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 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.
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