President Joe Biden Releases Statement On Transgender Day Of Remembrance
By Kelly Coffey-Behrens on November 20, 2023 at 2:45 PM EST
President Joe Biden is speaking out on Transgender Day Of Remembrance.
The Transgender Day of Remembrance, also known as the International Transgender Day of Remembrance, is observed annually on November 20. It is a day to remember those who have lost their lives as a result of transphobia.
Joe Biden Grieves Transgender Americans Whose Lives Were Taken
On November 20, the President of the United States released a statement to remember those whose lives were lost due to transphobic acts of violence.
"Today, on Transgender Day of Remembrance, we grieve the transgender Americans whose lives were taken this year," Biden wrote in a statement. "There is no place for hate or discrimination in America. No one should lose their life simply for being themselves."
https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1726655947450290662
According to The Human Rights Campaign Foundation (HRC), there have been 335 transgender and gender non-conforming victims of fatal violence, since 2023. At least 33 of those deaths have been in the last 12 months (from November 21, 2022, through November 20, 2023).
The report states "at least" as many deaths often go unreported or misreported.
“The epidemic of violence against transgender and gender non-conforming people is a national tragedy and a national embarrassment," Kelley Robinson, President of the Human Rights Campaign, stated. "Each of the lives taken is the result of a society that demeans and devalues anyone who dares challenge the gender binary"
Statistics Showing Deaths Related To Violent Acts In The Last Year
The HRC has reported that 90% of trans and gender non-conforming victims were people of color and seven in ten were transgender women. "Almost two-thirds of the victims reported on were Black trans women, a tragedy that reflects an appalling trend of violence fueled by racism, toxic masculinity, trans misogynoir and transphobia and the politicization of our lives," Robinson stated.
Almost 80% were under the age of 35 and were initially misgendered by the police or in news reports. Among those who were killed, nearly 50% of the murders occurred by a friend, family member, or sexual partner.
"In statehouses across the nation, we’ve seen bills signed into law that ban gender-affirming healthcare, make schools unsafe for LGBTQ+ youth, and ban transgender and non-binary people from public bathrooms," Robinson continued in her statement. "Even before the horrific Club Q shooting last November, we’ve seen bomb threats directed at schools, hospitals, and libraries simply for supporting transgender and non-binary people."
She added, "Each of these grotesque actions serves to increase stigma and create a hostile environment that endangers the lives of anyone outside the gender binary. We must imagine a better future for transgender and gender non-conforming people—not just surviving, but truly living as free and equal members of our society.”
These statistics remain close to the same year after year since the HRC began tracking in 2013. At least 286 BIPOC trans and gender non-conforming people have been killed in the last 11 years. Almost 70% of those incidents involved a firearm. Many cases remain unsolved.
