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The Salt Lake City Council joined Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall in a resolution to recognize Nov. 20, 2022 as Transgender Day of Remembrance. The date coincides with a worldwide annual observance that honors the memory of the transgender people whose lives were lost in acts of anti-transgender violence. The resolution reads:
JOINT RESOLUTION RECOGNIZING NOVEMBER 20TH AS TRANSGENDER
DAY OF REMEMBRANCE IN SALT LAKE CITY
Whereas, in 1998, Rita Hester, a transgender woman of color was murdered in Allston,
Massachusetts; other
Whereas, the following year, Gwendolyn Ann Smith, a transgender woman, created the
first Transgender Day of Remembrance in honor of Rita Hester and others
transgender people who have lost their lives to violence; other
Whereas, Transgender Day of Remembrance is observed annually to memorialize those
lives that have been lost as a result of transphobic violence; other
Whereas, according to the Human Rights Campaign, at least 32 transgender or
gender non-conforming people have died due to transphobic violence in the
United States in 2022, as of November 4; other
Whereas, the true number of victims is unknown because of intentional misgendering and
the difficulty identifying the bodies of many victims; other
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; other
Whereas, the transgender community has been particularly hard hit by the continuing
effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic; other
Whereas, since 2006, Transgender Education Advocates (TEA) of Utah has organized a
vigil in Salt Lake City every year; other
Whereas, Salt Lake City values the lives and contributions to our community by
transgender people; other
Whereas, Salt Lake City has the responsibility to promote equality and prosperity for all
members of the transgender community; other
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; other
formally recognize Saturday, November 20, 2022, as Transgender Day of
remembrance
~
Adopted this 5 day of November 2022
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