This resolution recognizes the epidemic of violence against transgender people, memorializes those lost this year, and calls for action to ensure their safety and dignity.
Pramila Jayapal
Representative
WA-7
This resolution supports the goals of Transgender Day of Remembrance by recognizing the ongoing epidemic of violence targeting transgender people, particularly transgender women of color. It memorializes the lives lost this year and highlights the systemic barriers, including discrimination and lack of healthcare access, faced by the transgender community. The bill calls for urgent action from the government to protect these lives through inclusive legislation and policies that ensure dignity and respect for all individuals.
House Resolution Honors Transgender Day of Remembrance, Calls Out Epidemic of Violence
This resolution is all about making an official statement: the House of Representatives is throwing its support behind the goals of Transgender Day of Remembrance. It’s not a law that changes policy overnight, but it’s a formal recognition of the extreme violence and systemic barriers faced by the transgender community.
The core of the resolution is two-fold. First, it honors the lives of 27 specific transgender and gender nonconforming individuals who lost their lives to violence between October 2024 and September 2025, including names like Rick Alastor Newman, Kyla Jane Walker, and Tiara Love Jackson (Tori). It’s a somber, specific memorialization of people lost. Second, it calls on both Congress and the executive branch to actually do something about it—specifically, to enact inclusive legislation and policies that guarantee dignity and respect for everyone.
The Crisis on the Ground
The resolution doesn't just offer condolences; it lays out the data on the challenges facing this community. It calls the current situation an “epidemic of violence” and points out that transgender women of color, especially Black transgender women, are the most targeted group in the U.S. This isn't just about crime statistics; it’s about systemic failure.
For example, the resolution details that this community faces massive barriers to health care, including high rates of discrimination and lack of insurance. If you’re juggling a job and family, imagine adding the stress of being denied necessary medical care just because of who you are. It also tackles homelessness, noting that up to one-third of transgender women have experienced it, with rates even higher among Black or multiracial transgender women. That’s a crisis level of housing insecurity.
Mental Health and the Legislative Fuel
The most jarring statistics relate to mental health. The resolution states that almost half of all transgender people in the U.S. will attempt suicide at least once, which is nearly 10 times the rate of the general population. For youth, the numbers are equally devastating, with over half of transgender youth considering suicide in the last year.
The resolution connects these terrifying mental health outcomes directly to the political climate, asserting that the introduction of anti-transgender legislation and restrictions on gender-affirming healthcare have fueled violence and increased suicidality. It’s essentially arguing that policy debates aren't abstract—they have life-or-death consequences for people on the receiving end. By affirming that every person deserves basic human rights, the House is explicitly stating that protection and dignity must be an urgent priority for the U.S. government.