Honor Transgender Remembrance Day

Senate Resolution No. 2811 BY: Senator SQUADRON RECOGNIZING November 20, 2017, as Transgender Day of Remembrance WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body to pay tribute to grassroots days of action on behalf of justice and human dignity for all; and WHEREAS, In honoring the Transgender Day of Remembrance, which occurs annually on November 20th, this Legislative Body recognizes that the Transgender Day of Remembrance stands for not only the pursuit of mutual respect and full equality but also to remember those who have lost their lives because of their gender identity or expression; and WHEREAS, We also recognize that transgender members of our society are disproportionately affected by hate crimes and violence in our communities; and WHEREAS, On Transgender Day of Remembrance we pause to remember the hundreds of transgender people across the nation who are the victims of hate-motivated violence every year, including bullying, assault, and homicide; and WHEREAS, On Transgender Day of Remembrance, we acknowledge that transgender people suffer a myriad of challenges in their daily lives, including discrimination, disproportionately high levels of unemployment, and limited access to health care; and WHEREAS, Despite the challenges faced by the transgender community, in observing the Transgender Day of Remembrance, we recognize, admire, and celebrate the growing awareness and acceptance of transgender people and the many states that have established full rights for transgender individuals despite the ongoing struggles faced by the transgender community across the nation; and WHEREAS, On Transgender Day of Remembrance we honor and commemorate the strength, commitment, and remarkable and immense efforts of those working tirelessly to secure full and equal civil rights for all people in this country, regardless of gender identity or expression; and WHEREAS, The Transgender Day of Remembrance provides an opportunity for all New Yorkers to celebrate the gains that transgender activists and allies have made in the movement for transgender equality and to also remember how much work remains to be done; and WHEREAS, We recognize that the movement for full and equal civil rights for transgender people is part of broader social struggle for civil rights in this country; and WHEREAS, The Transgender Day of Remembrance is a commemoration of those who have died expressing their gender and a reflection on the sobering statistics in our state and across the country which demonstrate that transgender people are still faced with tragically high levels of violence and discrimination; and WHEREAS, We recognize that while that national political climate has become increasingly hostile to transgender Americans, including rolling back civil rights protections, the state should stand with transgender New Yorkers; and WHEREAS, We also pause to remember that basic fairness for transgender people is still, shockingly, denied in many places, including the State of New York, which has not codified such protections legislatively; and WHEREAS, This Legislative Body also acknowledges and honors Gwendolyn Ann Smith, who took an important cause and brought it to the world's attention through the establishment and organization of the Transgender Day of Remembrance in 1999, which has continued annually ever since; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to recognize November 20, 2017, as Transgender Day of Remembrance; and be it further RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be transmitted to the New York State Transgender Rights Coalition.