Fiscal Note
No appropriation required.
Title
Declaring the week of November 18, 2019 to be Transgender Awareness Week, and November 20, 2019 to be Transgender Day of Remembrance.
Body
WHEREAS, so far in 2019, 23 deaths have been reported from anti-transgender violence; and,
WHEREAS, the ongoing, growing epidemic of violence committed against transgender and gender non-conforming people continues to climb and claim the lives of too many each year, especially transgender women of color. Many more incidences of murder and violence against transgender people go unreported, sometimes due to misgendering of the victim; and,
WHEREAS, against the expert advice of military leadership, medical authorities, budget analysts, 70% of Americans and the armed forces of allied countries, the Trump administration banned transgender people from serving in the military; and,
WHEREAS, under the Trump administration, the Departments of Education and Justice eliminated Obama-era guidance clarifying that schools must treat transgender students consistent with their gender identity. This has resulted in the encouragement of school officials to permit harassment of transgender students, denying access to facilities consistent with gender identity, and refusing to use correct names and pronouns -- all inflicting untold emotional harm. The Department of Education refused to respond to civil complaints filed by transgender students, including those who were barred from using bathrooms that correspond with their gender identity. This increases the burden for transgender students to combat these harmful policies; and,
WHEREAS, despite the fact that LGBTQ people are significantly more likely to experience homelessness in their lives, Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson has proposed a rule to permit emergency shelters to deny access or otherwise discriminate against transgender and gender non-conforming people who are homeless; and,
WHEREAS, Trump’s Department of Justice upended previous DOJ interpretations of the Civil Rights Act that protect transgender and non-binary workers from employment discrimination and ceased enforcing non-discrimination protections as well as taking a hostile stance to LGBTQ workers in court; and,
WHEREAS, the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) rolled back an Obama-era policy that housed transgender prisoners consistent with their gender identity. With transgender people experiencing sexual assault at higher rates than the larger population, this decision only puts them at further risk of assault; and,
WHEREAS, the Trump administration’s Department of Health and Human Services proposed a new definition that would narrowly define sex as either male or female, unchangeable, and determined by birth; and,
WHEREAS, transgender people are less likely to die by suicide when their identities are validated and they are supported by friends, family, and community; and,
WHEREAS, Transgender Awareness Week is a week when transgender people and their allies take action to bring attention to the community by educating the public about who transgender people are, sharing their stories and experiences, and advancing advocacy around the issues of prejudice, discrimination, and violence that affect the transgender community; and,
WHEREAS, every year we set aside November 20 as Transgender Day of Remembrance, a day meant to honor, commemorate, and memorialize those who face discrimination and stigma (often on a daily basis) across the nation. This day focuses on the persistent struggles transgender people face in their everyday lives, and how others can share their love, support, and hope,
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the City of Madison declares the week of November 18, 2019 to be Transgender Awareness Week, and November 20, 2019 to be Transgender Day of Remembrance; and,
NOW THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the City of Madison commits itself to supporting transgender and gender-nonconforming residents of our City, and encourages all residents of Madison to resist hate and discrimination.