May 20, 2019 - Issue: Vol. 165, No. 84 — Daily Edition116th Congress (2019 - 2020) - 1st Session

[Page H3997]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       HONORING MUHLAYSIA BOOKER

  (Mr. VEASEY asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. VEASEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in memory of Muhlaysia Booker, 
a courageous 23-year-old Black transgender woman in Dallas who was 
found fatally shot this weekend.
  Muhlaysia's name has been in the news a lot. Recently, she suffered a 
brutal beating by a group of men who screamed transphobic slurs at her 
as they assaulted her. The attack was captured on video, and it made 
you sick to your stomach to see the level of transgender hate that is 
so strong and prevalent in this country.
  Muhlaysia's death is devastating for the Black transgender community 
in Dallas, but it is also part of a much larger trend that shows the 
violence, discrimination, and fear that the transgender and LGBTQ 
communities face on a daily basis.
  Deaths in the trans community are underreported, and the adversity 
they face is on clear display.
  The unemployment rate for the Black transgender community is 20 
percent, close to four times the national average; 38 percent have 
lived in poverty, and 42 percent have experienced homelessness.
  Even with all the odds stacked against them, Black transgender women 
like Muhlaysia choose to live their life in truth. They show courage, 
strength, and great personal sacrifice in the fight for equality.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues in the Senate to join the House by 
passing the Equality Act. We must do everything in our power to stop 
the discrimination and violence in our neighborhoods.
  Our brothers and sisters are dying out there. We need the inaction to 
stop.

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