CITY OF RICHMOND, CALIFORNIA
P R O C L A M A T I O N
Declaring November 20, 2022 as Transgender Day of Remembrance
WHEREAS, Transgender Day of Remembrance is an annual event that began in 1999 with a vigil honoring the memory of Rita Hester, a transgender woman who was killed the year prior, and honors the memory of those whose lives were lost in acts of anti-transgender violence; and
WHEREAS, in 2022 so far, at least 3 2 transgender people have been murdered in the United States, leading the American Medical Association to take a public stand to stem what it calls “the epidemic of violence against the transgender community, especially the amplified physical dangers faced by transgender people of color;” and
WHEREAS, our communities are impacted when we lose any community member prematurely, whether due to direct anti -transgender violence, suicide, or other health effects resulting from trauma or discrimination; and
WHEREAS, the City of Richmond recognizes the impact of the greater transgender community’s activism across the United States, including the Compton Cafeteria Riots of 1966, the Stonewall Riots of 1969, the New York Supreme Court ruling in favor of Renee Richard s in 1977, the awareness built surrounding the murder of Brandon Teena in 1993, and the amendment to the federal Equal Employment Opportunity statement to include protections for transgender individuals in 2010; and
WHEREAS, the City of Richmond honors th e bravery and resilience of the transgender individuals who live, work, or play in their authentic gender, and although we are proud of the existing protections we have in place for transgender individuals to pursue their lives free from discrimination in the San Francisco Bay Area, we reaffirm our commitment to ongoing efforts to promote full inclusion of transgender individuals in Richmond.
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED , that the Richmond City Council do es hereby declare November 20 , 2022, as Transgender Day of Remembrance in the City of Richmond and encourages our community to promote equity, inclusion, and safety for transgender individuals
___________________________
Mayor Tom Butt
City of Richmond, California
November 15, 2022