[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 464 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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118th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. RES. 464
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 SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
November 15, 2023
Ms. Hirono (for herself, Ms. Baldwin, Ms. Butler, Mr. Fetterman, Mr.
Markey, Ms. Warren, Mr. Wyden, Mr. Merkley, and Mr. Schatz) 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 people of the United States;
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'Ssiyah 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, and 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 Matter;
Whereas violence against transgender people of the United States
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 people of the United States;
Whereas transgender people of the United States 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 \1/3\ of all
transgender women and \1/2\ of transgender women 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 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 detention centers in the United
States 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 and harassment at school due to their gender identity;
Whereas understanding and addressing the challenges faced by transgender people
of the United States is hampered by a severe lack of data;
Whereas Congress and the executive branch must act to protect and preserve the
lives of all people of the United States, including those that are
transgender, 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 people of the United States;
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, worsening mental health
among transgender youth and adults, and parents who are 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; 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 Senate--
(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 people of the United States,
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 the commitment of the United States
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 the society of the
United States.
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