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. It consists of a reading of the names of transgender people who died from October 1st of the former year to September 30th of the current year, and may include candlelight vigils, dedicated church services, marches, art shows, food drives, and film screenings; and
Whereas, the LGBTQ+ community suffers from unacceptable acts of hatred and violence; more specifically, transgender and gender non-conforming people experience higher rates of violence and abuse as compared to cisgender or non-transgender individuals; and
Whereas, the City of Richmond must work to end the stigma, racism, transphobia, sexism, biphobia, and homophobia that hurt and harm transgender and gender non- conforming individuals. Together, we must reject hate, cultivate acceptance, and end the stigma for transgender individuals who want to live as their most authentic self; and
Whereas, we are proud of the existing protections that we have in place for transgender individuals, we must continue to invest in efforts that allow transgender individuals to pursue their lives free from discrimination in the San Francisco Bay Area. We must reaffirm our commitment to ongoing efforts to promote acceptance and to end violence towards transgender individuals in Richmond.
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that I, Councilmember Cesar Zepeda, recognize Transgender Day of Remembrance and retrospectively honors all of the transgender people whose lives were lost this past year, and encourage our community to promote acceptance, equity, inclusion, and safety for transgender individuals.
Recognizing Transgender Day of Remembrance 2024
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Mayor Eduardo Martinez
City of Richmond
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Cesar Zepeda
District 2 Councilmember