Text of VA HJR 85 (2020)

20104162D HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 85 Offered January 8, 2020 Prefiled January 7, 2020 Designating November 20, in 2020 and in each succeeding year, as Transgender Day of Remembrance in Virginia. ---------- Patron-- Roem ---------- Committee Referral Pending ---------- WHEREAS, throughout the Commonwealth and the United States, transgender people face bigotry and discrimination in the course of their everyday lives; and WHEREAS, a significant number of people in the transgender community have reported being victims of verbal harassment, sexual harassment, or physical assault, including many who have reported harassment or attacks in the workplace; and WHEREAS, each year, numerous transgender people are killed as a result of violence, including Noony Norwood of Richmond on November 6, 2016, India Monroe of Newport News on December 21, 2016, and Ebony Morgan of Lynchburg on July 2, 2017; and WHEREAS, at least 157 transgender and gender non-conforming people have been killed in the United States since 2013, and WHEREAS, approximately two-thirds of those killed in the United States were victims of gun violence; and WHEREAS, more than three-quarters of those killed in the United States were Black/African-American; and WHEREAS, hundreds of transgender and gender non-conforming people are murdered around the world every year; and WHEREAS, the first known out transgender person murdered in 2020 was a 25-year-old taxi cab driver and founding member of Okalahomans for Equality-McAlester Chapter: Southeastern Equality, Dustin Parker, who was fatally shot in McAlester, Oklahoma, on the morning of January 1; and WHEREAS, in 1999, Gwendolyn Ann Smith organized the first Transgender Day of Remembrance to commemorate the unsolved murder of Rita Hester, a transgender African American woman who was killed in November of the previous year; and WHEREAS, all Virginians are encouraged to commemorate Transgender Day of Remembrance by holding or attending vigils, town-hall-style meetings, exhibitions of artwork and photography, and other activities; and WHEREAS, Transgender Day of Remembrance raises much-needed awareness of hate crimes against the transgender community and provides a day to mourn and honor victims by expressing love and respect for all people in the face of hatred; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly designate November 20, in 2020 and in each succeeding year, as Transgender Day of Remembrance in Virginia; and, be it RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates transmit a copy of this resolution to Gwendolyn Ann Smith, founder of Transgender Day of Remembrance, so that the members and supporters of the transgender community may be apprised of the sense of the General Assembly of Virginia in this matter; and, be it RESOLVED FINALLY, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates post the designation of this day on the General Assembly's website.

HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 85 Designating November 20, in 2020 and in each succeeding year, as Transgender Day of Remembrance in Virginia. Agreed to by the House of Delegates, January 29, 2020 Agreed to by the Senate, March 3, 2020 WHEREAS, throughout the Commonwealth and the United States, transgender people face bigotry and discrimination in the course of their everyday lives; and WHEREAS, a significant number of people in the transgender community have reported being victims of verbal harassment, sexual harassment, or physical assault, including many who have reported harassment or attacks in the workplace; and WHEREAS, each year, numerous transgender people are killed as a result of violence, including Noony Norwood of Richmond on November 6, 2016, India Monroe of Newport News on December 21, 2016, and Ebony Morgan of Lynchburg on July 2, 2017; and WHEREAS, at least 157 transgender and gender non-conforming people have been killed in the United States since 2013, and WHEREAS, approximately two-thirds of those killed in the United States were victims of gun violence; and WHEREAS, more than three-quarters of those killed in the United States were Black/African-American; and WHEREAS, hundreds of transgender and gender non-conforming people are murdered around the world every year; and WHEREAS, the first known out transgender person murdered in 2020 was a 25-year-old taxi cab driver and founding member of Okalahomans for Equality-McAlester Chapter: Southeastern Equality, Dustin Parker, who was fatally shot in McAlester, Oklahoma, on the morning of January 1; and WHEREAS, in 1999, Gwendolyn Ann Smith organized the first Transgender Day of Remembrance to commemorate the unsolved murder of Rita Hester, a transgender African American woman who was killed in November of the previous year; and WHEREAS, all Virginians are encouraged to commemorate Transgender Day of Remembrance by holding or attending vigils, town-hall-style meetings, exhibitions of artwork and photography, and other activities; and WHEREAS, Transgender Day of Remembrance raises much-needed awareness of hate crimes against the transgender community and provides a day to mourn and honor victims by expressing love and respect for all people in the face of hatred; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly designate November 20, in 2020 and in each succeeding year, as Transgender Day of Remembrance in Virginia; and, be it RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates transmit a copy of this resolution to Gwendolyn Ann Smith, founder of Transgender Day of Remembrance, so that the members and supporters of the transgender community may be apprised of the sense of the General Assembly of Virginia in this matter; and, be it RESOLVED FINALLY, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates post the designation of this day on the General Assembly's website.