Fiscal Note
No City appropriation required.
Title
Declaring March 31, 2025, to be Transgender Day of Visibility in the City of Madison.
Body
WHEREAS, International Transgender Day of Visibility was first created in 2010 by trans advocate Rachel Crandall, the head of Transgender Michigan, with the goal of celebrating the lives and contributions of trans people; and,
WHEREAS, there are over 1.6 million trans, non-binary, and gender-expansive people in the United States; and,
WHEREAS, transgender and gender non-conforming folks are valued members of the City of Madison; and,
WHEREAS, on June 8, 2023, the City of Madison raised the trans flag at the Madison Municipal Building for the first time, having the flag fly for a week; and,
WHEREAS, also in June of 2023, the City of Madison declared itself as a sanctuary for trans and nonbinary individuals, stating a commitment to protecting transgender and nonbinary individuals and stating that access to health care is a fundamental right and all people in Madison and the State of Wisconsin should have access to all health care, including gender affirming care; and,
WHEREAS, Transgender Day of Visibility additionally acknowledges the struggles that many trans people face, such as poverty, discrimination, and violence; and,
WHEREAS, due to factors such as discrimination and violence, not every trans person can or wants to be visible; and,
WHEREAS, this discrimination and violence against trans people has impacted Madison, leading to tragedy; and,
WHEREAS, Felicia Melton-Smyth, a transgender woman from Madison, was murdered while on vacation in Mexico in May of 2008; and,
WHEREAS, Felicia was a dedicated activist in the Madison LGBTQIA+ community and was a fundraiser for the Madison AIDS Network and other charities; and,
WHEREAS, Felicia worked in the billing department for the University of Wisconsin Medical Foundation and during her nights and weekends was a part-time employee at Shamrock Bar & Grille, where s...
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