Text of US HR 722 (2019)

IV 116TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. RES. 722 Supporting the goals of Transgender Day of Remembrance. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES NOVEMBER 20, 2019 Mr. KENNEDY (for himself, Ms. DAVIDS of Kansas, Ms. NORTON, Ms. SCHA- KOWSKY, Mr. LOWENTHAL, Mr. PAPPAS, Mr. GRIJALVA, Ms. HAALAND, Ms. CRAIG, Ms. VELA´ZQUEZ, Ms. MCCOLLUM, Mr. PALLONE, Ms. JACK- SON LEE, Ms. GARCIA of Texas, Mr. CARSON of Indiana, Ms. SCANLON, Mr. ESPAILLAT, Mr. KHANNA, Mr. SMITH of Washington, Mr. BLU- MENAUER, Mr. NADLER, Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ, Ms. TLAIB, Mr. SIRES, Mr. PHILLIPS, Mr. MCEACHIN, Ms. SPEIER, Ms. MENG, Ms. OCASIO-CORTEZ, Mr. POCAN, Ms. WEXTON, Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia, Mr. CRIST, Ms. PRESSLEY, Ms. OMAR, Ms. BONAMICI, Mr. CARBAJAL, Mrs. LEE of Nevada, Mr. TED LIEU of California, Mr. TAKANO, Ms. SHALALA, Ms. CASTOR of Florida, Mr. CICILLINE, Ms. SA´NCHEZ, and Mr. CORREA) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary RESOLUTION Supporting the goals of Transgender Day of Remembrance. Whereas an estimated 1.4 million American adults are transgender; Whereas transgender people have contributed much to Amer- ican society but continue to face severe discrimination and violence; VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:39 Nov 21, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR722.IH HR722 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 2 •HRES 722 IH Whereas, in 1998, Rita Hester, a transgender woman of color, was murdered, and her murder has yet to be solved; Whereas, the following year on November 20, 1999, Gwen- dolyn Ann Smith created the first Transgender Day of Remembrance in honor of Rita Hester and other transgender people who had lost their lives to violence, and this date has been commemorated ever since; Whereas the United States is currently witnessing an epi- demic of violence against transgender people, in par- ticular transgender women of color, with at least 28 members of this community known to have been killed in 2018 and at least 22 killed thus far in 2019; Whereas the United States has one of the highest rates of murder of transgender people; Whereas young Black transgender women have a far greater chance of being murdered as compared to the general public; Whereas reports of violence and killings of transgender people are likely to be significantly undercounted due to a vari- ety of factors including the misgendering of victims and fear of reporting; Whereas transgender people suffer from disproportionate rates of homelessness, with reports suggesting as many as one-third of transgender people have experienced homelessness; Whereas 19 percent of all transgender people report being re- fused medical care, with even higher rates for transgender people of color; Whereas almost half of all transgender people in the United States will attempt suicide at one point in their lifetime, VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:39 Nov 21, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR722.IH HR722 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 3 •HRES 722 IH a rate that is eight times higher than the rest of the United States population; Whereas around the world, transgender people face violence and discrimination based on their gender identity and ex- pression, which is further exacerbated for transgender people of color, transgender people from a low socio- economic status, transgender people with disabilities, or transgender people who belong to other marginalized groups; Whereas asylum seekers and refugees that identify as 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 deten- tion centers, are subject to high levels of violence and dis- crimination; Whereas transgender students are significantly more likely to experience bullying or harassment at school due to their gender identity; Whereas transgender Americans face rates of unemployment that are far greater than the general population; 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 pro- tect and preserve the lives of all Americans, including transgender Americans, through inclusive legislation and policies that treat everyone with respect; Whereas recent regulations and other actions by the executive branch have directly targeted transgender Americans in all aspects of their lives, from their experiences in schools VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:39 Nov 21, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR722.IH HR722 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 4 •HRES 722 IH and health care settings, to their ability to continue to serve in the military, to seek redress for workplace dis- crimination, or to even seek emergency shelter; Whereas the transgender community has shown great resil- ience 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 tre- mendous leadership since the courageous actions of many community members, including Marsha P. Johnson, at the Stonewall uprising of 1969: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 1 (1) supports the goals and principles of 2 Transgender Day of Remembrance of memorializing 3 the lives lost this year to antitransgender violence; 4 (2) recognizes that the current trends of in- 5 creased violence, particularly violence against 6 transgender women of color, are unacceptable, and 7 finding solutions to these issues must be a pressing 8 priority for the United States Government; 9 (3) supports efforts to study, respond to, and 10 prevent violence against transgender people includ- 11 ing through enhanced, responsible data collection; 12 (4) affirms the principle that every person is 13 endowed with basic human rights and that our Na- 14 tion’s commitment to this principle must encompass 15 every single individual; and 16 VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:39 Nov 21, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\HR722.IH HR722 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 5 •HRES 722 IH (5) recognizes the bravery and resilience of the 1 transgender community as it fights for equal dignity 2 and respect. 3 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:39 Nov 21, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\HR722.IH HR722 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS