KENNEDY INTROS TRANSGENDER DAY OF REMEMBRANCE RESOLUTION
Washington, D.C. – Congressman Joe Kennedy III today introduced a resolution commemorating International Transgender Day of Remembrance and honoring at least thirty-seven transgender or gender non-conforming people who have been killed in the United States already this year.
This morning, Kennedy read the names of all thirty-seven transgender or gender non-conforming individuals on the House Floor in memoriam.
As Chair of the Congressional Equality Caucus’s Transgender Equality Task Force, Kennedy has led the Congressional response to the Trump Administration’s attacks on transgender Americans.
“Equality for transgender Americans demands a nation where no one lives in fear of being targeted and murdered because of who they are. Just this year alone, we have lost at least thirty-seven beautiful transgender or gender non-conforming human beings to unacceptable bigotry and violence.
On this International Transgender Day of Remembrance, we raise our unified voice to say ‘enough’ and match our words with action to bring peace to all transgender people in the United States and around the world.”
To read Kennedy’s resolution, please click here. His resolution is cosponsored by Representatives Sharice Davids (KS-03), Eddie Bernice Johnson (TX-30), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-AL), Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Chris Pappas (NH-01), Raúl Grijalva (AZ-03), Deb Haaland (NM-01), Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Veronica Escobar (TX-16), Frank Pallone (NJ-06), Seth Moulton (MA-06), Nydia Velazquez (NY-07), Dina Titus (NV-01), Darren Soto (FL-09), Mike Quigley (IL-05), Jimmy Gomez (CA-34), Tony Cárdenas (CA-29), Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05), Ro Khanna (CA-17), Dan Kildee (MI-06), Grace Meng (NY-06), Jennifer Wexton (VA-10), Linda Sanchez (CA-38), and Stephen Lynch (MA-08).
Kennedy serves as chairman of the Congressional Transgender Equality Task Force.
Following the Supreme Court Hobby Lobby decision, he introduced the Do No Harm Act with Congressman Bobby Scott (D-VA), which would amend the Religious Freedom Restoration Act to preserve civil rights. In 2018, Kennedy led nearly 100 colleagues demanding the rejection of a proposed policy by the Department of Health and Human Services to redefine “sex” to exclude the transgender community and deny them basic civil rights protections. He has been a proud co-sponsor of major equality legislation, from the Equality Act to the Global Respect Act to the Student Non-Discrimination Act.
