[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 901 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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118th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. RES. 901
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 20, 2024
Ms. Hirono (for herself, Ms. Baldwin, Mr. Blumenthal, Mr. Booker, Ms.
Duckworth, Mr. Fetterman, Mr. Heinrich, Mr. Markey, Mr. Merkley, Mr.
Padilla, Mr. Schatz, Ms. Warren, Mr. Welch, and Mr. Wyden) 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 2024 honors the memory of the lives of
transgender people tragically lost in acts of violence between October
1, 2023, and September 30, 2024;
Whereas the United States is currently experiencing an epidemic of violence
against transgender people of the United States;
Whereas at least 38 transgender or gender nonconforming people were violently
killed in the United States between October 1, 2023, and September 30,
2024, a number many believe to be much higher due to the prevalence of
underreporting or misreporting violence against this community;
Whereas the lives of Chyna Long, A'nee Johnson, Lisa Love Turman, Dominic Dupree
(Dominic Palace), London Price, Amiri Reid, Kejuan Richardson, Jean
Butchart, Savannah Ryan Williams, Meghan Riley Lewis, Amber Minor, Kitty
Monroe (Marcos Lugo), Righteous TK ``Chevy'' Hill, Diamond Brigman, Alex
Franco, Meraxes Medina, Africa (``Emma'') Parrilla Garcia, Tee Arnold
(``Lagend Billions''), Nevaeh River Goddard, Adrea Doria Dos Passos,
Sasha Williams, Starr Brown, Kita Bee, Reyna Hernandez, Brandon ``Tayy
Dior'' Thomas, Michelle Henry, Yella (Robert) Clark Jr., Jazlynn
Johnson, Liara Tsai, Pauly Likens, Shannon Boswell, Kenji Spurgeon,
Monique Brooks, Dylan Gurley, Tai'Von Lathan, Vanity Williams, Redd
(Barbie), and Kassim Omar were tragically lost in acts of violence
between October 1 2023, and September 30, 2024;
Whereas following the introduction of the Transgender Day of Remembrance
Resolution of 2023, the lives of LaKendra Andrews and Skyler Gilmore
were reported to have been lost to acts of violence between October 1,
2020, and September 30, 2023;
Whereas at least 327 transgender or gender nonconforming people have been
murdered worldwide between October 1, 2023, and September 30, 2024,
according to the Transgender Day of Remembrance memorial page from Trans
Lives Matter;
Whereas non-fatal anti-transgender violence can still have lethal impacts, such
as in the suicide of 16-year-old Nex Benedict in Oklahoma, who took
their own life following months of school based bullying and a physical
attack in their school restroom;
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 transgender people of the United States 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 \1/3\ of transgender
women and \1/2\ of transgender women who are Black, Middle Eastern,
multiracial, or undocumented have ever experienced homelessness;
Whereas almost \1/2\ 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 over \1/2\ of all transgender youth in the United States have considered
attempting suicide at least once in the last year and over a quarter
have attempted suicide, almost 2.5 times that of United States youth as
a whole;
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 or 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 transgender people,
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 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 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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