[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 511 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. RES. 511
Supporting the goals and principles of Transgender Day of Remembrance
by recognizing the epidemic of violence toward transgender people and
memorializing the lives lost this year.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
November 20, 2025
Ms. Hirono (for herself, Ms. Baldwin, Mr. Bennet, Mr. Blumenthal, Mr.
Booker, Ms. Duckworth, Mr. Fetterman, Mr. Heinrich, Mr. Hickenlooper,
Mr. Markey, Mr. Merkley, Mr. Padilla, Mr. Schatz, Mr. Schiff, Mr. Van
Hollen, Ms. Warren, and Mr. Wyden) submitted the following resolution;
which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Supporting the goals and principles of Transgender Day of Remembrance
by recognizing the epidemic of violence toward transgender people and
memorializing the lives lost this year.
Whereas Transgender Day of Remembrance was created following the 1998 killing of
Rita Hester, a transgender woman of color, whose murder has yet to be
solved;
Whereas the following year on November 20, 1999, Gwendolyn Ann Smith created the
first Transgender Day of Remembrance in honor of Rita Hester and other
transgender people whose lives were lost due to violence;
Whereas Transgender Day of Remembrance 2025 honors the memory of the lives of
transgender people tragically lost in acts of violence between October
1, 2024, and September 30, 2025;
Whereas the United States is currently experiencing an epidemic of violence
against transgender people;
Whereas at least 27 transgender or gender nonconforming people were violently
killed in the United States so far in 2025, a number many believe to be
much higher due to the prevalence of underreporting or misreporting
violence against this community;
Whereas the lives of Rick Alastor Newman, Jay Floris, Quanesha Shantel
(``Cocoa''), Kyla Jane Walker, Ra'lasia Wright, Cam Thompson, Tahiry
Broom, Sam Nordquist, Amyri Dior, Linda Becerra Moran, Ervianna Johnson,
Kaitoria Bankz, Jax Gratton, Kelsey Elem, Shy'Parius Dupree, Karmin
Wells, Hope Lyca Youngblood, Laura Schueler, Christina Hayes, JJ Godbey,
Kamora Woods, Dream Johnson, Blair A. Sawyer, Rosa Machuca, Onyx
Cornish, Kasi Rhea (``Kaeyy Holmes''), and Tiara Love Jackson (``Tori'')
were tragically lost in acts of violence between October 1, 2024, and
September 30, 2025;
Whereas the remains of Aubrey Dameron and Jay Lee were found in 2025;
Whereas, to date, at least 241 transgender or gender nonconforming people have
been lost in acts of violence worldwide in 2025, according to the
Transgender Day of Remembrance memorial page from Trans Lives Matter;
Whereas, on October 13, 2025, Miss Major Griffin-Gracy, a pioneer transgender
activist who participated in the uprising at Stonewall in 1969 and
served as the Executive Director of the Transgender Gender Variant and
Intersex Justice Project, passed away;
Whereas violence against transgender people of the United States
disproportionately impacts transgender women of color;
Whereas Black transgender women are the most targeted group to experience
violence in the United States;
Whereas transgender people of the United States face barriers to health care,
such as lack of health insurance, stigma and discrimination, higher
rates of unemployment, and, in an increasingly higher number of States,
legal barriers to accessing medical care;
Whereas transgender people disproportionately suffer from higher rates of
homelessness, with reports suggesting as many as one-third of
transgender women and one-half of transgender women who are Black,
Middle Eastern, multiracial, or undocumented have ever experienced
homelessness;
Whereas almost half of all transgender people in the United States will attempt
suicide at least once, and over 1 in 20 will attempt suicide each year,
a rate that is almost 10 times higher than the rest of the United States
population;
Whereas over half of all transgender youth in the United States have considered
attempting suicide at least once in the last year, and over a quarter
have attempted suicide, almost 2.5 times that of United States youth as
a whole;
Whereas asylum seekers and refugees who are transgender experience
disproportionate rates of violence, including sexual violence, as they
seek safety;
Whereas transgender immigrants have died in detention centers in the United
States due to medical neglect, injury, and abuse at the hands of staff;
Whereas transgender people in institutional settings such as jails and prisons
are subject to high levels of violence and discrimination, especially
when they lack access to appropriate facilities and care based on their
gender identity;
Whereas transgender students are significantly more likely to experience
bullying or harassment at school due to their gender identity;
Whereas understanding and addressing the challenges faced by transgender people
of the United States is hampered by a severe lack of data;
Whereas Congress and the executive branch must act to protect and preserve the
lives of all people of the United States, including transgender people,
through inclusive legislation and policies that treat everyone with
dignity and respect;
Whereas the continued introduction of anti-transgender legislation and Executive
orders have fueled violence against transgender people of the United
States;
Whereas efforts to restrict access to gender-affirming healthcare has stripped
many transgender people of access to medically-necessary care, led to a
spike in poor mental health and suicidality among transgender youth and
adults, increased bullying and assault in schools, and left parents
afraid their children may be removed from their homes because they
support their transgender child;
Whereas the transgender community has shown great resilience in the face of
adversity in all aspects of their lives, including housing, education,
employment, and health care; and
Whereas the transgender community has demonstrated tremendous leadership since
the courageous actions of many community members, including Marsha P.
Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, at the Stonewall uprising of 1969: Now,
therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) supports the goals and principles of Transgender Day of
Remembrance by recognizing the epidemic of violence toward
transgender people and memorializing the lives lost this year;
(2) recognizes that the alarming trends of increased
violence against transgender people of the United States,
particularly transgender women of color, are unacceptable, and
that finding solutions to these issues must be a pressing
priority for the United States Government;
(3) supports efforts to study, respond to, and prevent
violence against transgender people;
(4) affirms the principle that every person is endowed with
basic human rights and that the commitment of the United States
to this principle must encompass every single individual;
(5) recognizes the bravery and resilience of the
transgender community as it fights for equal dignity and
respect; and
(6) recognizes the multitude of contributions and cultural
impact the transgender community has had on the society of the
United States.
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