Transgender individuals experience violent crime at a rate over four times higher than cisgender individuals. Even more troubling, Pennsylvania’s “LGBTQ+ panic” defense allows assailants to receive a lesser sentence or to completely avoid conviction or punishment by blaming their actions on the victim’s actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender expression.
 
To acknowledge the disproportionate violence faced by transgender individuals and honor the lives of those lost to senseless acts of hatred, I am introducing a resolution to recognize November 20, 2026, as Transgender Day of Remembrance in Pennsylvania. Begun in 1999, Transgender Day of Remembrance is a reminder that this violence is not a new phenomenon but a persistent and ongoing reality for transgender individuals. Beyond remembering loved ones whose lives were taken too soon, Transgender Day of Remembrance also serves to educate the public about the violence and discrimination the transgender community continues to face, helping ensure that these experiences are acknowledged rather than overlooked.
 
Please join me in co-sponsoring this resolution and in so doing affirm that every Pennsylvanian deserves to live free from violence, fear and discrimination.