WHEREAS, in 1998, Rita Hester, a transgender woman of color was murdered in Allston, Massachusetts; and
WHEREAS, the following year, Gwendolyn Ann Smith, a transgender woman, created the first Transgender Day of Remembrance in honor of Rita Hester and other transgender people who have lost their lives to violence; and
WHEREAS, Transgender Day of Remembrance is observed annually to memorialize those lives that have been lost as a result of transphobic violence; and
WHEREAS, according to the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), at least 31 transgender or gender non-conforming people have died due to transphobic violence in the United States in 2022, as of November 4; and
WHEREAS, the true number of victims is unknown because of intentional misgendering and the difficulty identifying the bodies of many victims; and
WHEREAS, transgender individuals — especially transgender people of color — continue to be disproportionately affected by education discrimination, employment discrimination, bullying, limited access to healthcare, domestic violence, homelessness, economic instability, and poverty; and
WHEREAS, the transgender community has been particularly hard-hit by the continuing effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic; and
WHEREAS, since 2006, Transgender Education Advocates (TEA) of Utah has organized a vigil in Salt Lake City every year; and
WHEREAS, Salt Lake City values the lives and contributions to our community by transgender people; and
WHEREAS, Salt Lake City has the responsibility to promote equality and prosperity for all members of the transgender community; and
WHEREAS, Salt Lake City is proud to stand against the discrimination of transgender people.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Salt Lake City Council and Mayor of Salt Lake City strongly value the lives and contributions of transgender people; honor those lives that have been lost as a result of transphobic violence throughout the United States of America and the world; and formally recognize Saturday, November 20, 2022, as Transgender Day of Remembrance.
Adopted this 10th day of November 2022.
To view an electronic copy of the signed resolution, click here.