Democrats introduce resolution to recognize Trans Day of Remembrance

Reps. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) and Sara Jacobs (D-CA) and Sen. Mazi Hirono (D-HI) have introduced a resolution to commemorate the Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR), which takes place annually on November 20.

Jayapal and Jacobs are co-chairs of the Transgender Equality Task Force, and Jayapal has a trans child. In a press release introducing the resolution, she called her child “incredible” and said she knows “how important this fight is.”

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“I will never waiver in the effort to ensure that all trans individuals can live without the constant fear of violence and hate,” she continued. “This resolution honors the lives of the trans people we have lost to senseless violence and stands as a symbol of their resilience and our commitment to creating a just and equal society for all. Trans lives matter, and I will always defend everyone’s right to live their full lives as their true, authentic selves.”

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Jacobs added that “no one should live with this constant fear and anxiety of being targeted because of who they are.”

“Trans rights are human rights,” said Hirono, “and I will continue fighting so people in Hawaii and across the country—regardless of their gender identity—can live their lives freely and authentically.”

The resolution states that at least 285 trans and gender-nonconforming people have been murdered worldwide in 2023. It also mentions the Club Q shooting, which took place on the eve of TDOR in 2022. It also acknowledged that anti-trans violence disproportionately affects Black trans women, stating they are “the most targeted group to experience violence in the United States.”

It went on to express the many ways trans people are marginalized in the United States, experiencing outsized barriers to stable housing, healthcare, and employment.

“Congress and the executive branch must act to protect and preserve the lives of all Americans, including transgender Americans, through inclusive legislation and policies that treat everyone with dignity and respect,” the resolution declared, calling out the nationwide attempts to ban gender-affirming care.

A recent report from the Human Rights Campaign stated that between TDOR 2022 and TDOR 2023, at least 33 trans and gender non-conforming people have been killed in the United States. The number is likely an undercount due to underreporting and misgendering.

The report also found that 335 trans and gender non-conforming people have been killed by violence since 2013. Of those, 85% were people of color, 83% were trans women, and 62% were Black trans women.

“The epidemic of violence against transgender and gender non-conforming people is a national embarrassment,” stated Human Rights Campaign President Kelley Robinson. “Each of these lives taken is a tragedy— the result of a society that demeans and devalues anyone who dares challenge the gender binary.”

She continued, “As we once more honor our dead, we remember their hopes and dreams, and grieve the futures that were stolen from them. We must imagine a better future for transgender and gender non-conforming people —one where they are not just surviving, but truly living as free and equal members of our society.”

The resolution is unlikely to pass the current Republican-controlled House.