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PROPOSED RESOLUTION
A RESOLUTION PROCLAIMING 2023 TRANSGENDER AWARENESS WEEK
WHEREAS, Transgender Awareness Week is recognized every year from November 13th to November 19th as an opportunity to celebrate, uplift and honor our trans community and the ongoing issues they continue to face; and
WHEREAS, November 20th also highlights international Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR), first held to honor Rita Hester whose murder on November 28, 1998, launched the “Remembering Our Dead”, and now serves as an opportunity to remember those who have been murdered because of hate; and
WHEREAS, the first Sunday of November is TransParent Day which celebrates life and the love between transgender parents and their children and transgender children and their parents; and
WHEREAS, these celebrations, acknowledgements, and remembrances are vital affirmations of the lives of transgender people in our communities as they continue to face extreme institutional discrimination and violence on the basis of their gender identities; and
WHEREAS, according to Trans Legislation Tracker, in 2023 alone there have been 85 bills passed nationally that target and discriminate against transgender people, in particular transgender youth-an upsurge compared to the 26 bills passed in 2022; and
WHEREAS, these bills are introduced and passed with the express purpose of targeting and preventing access to healthcare, participation in sports, and the simple right to freely exist; and
WHEREAS, there are ongoing practices, including conversion therapy, that have been harmful to the whole LGBTQ+ community including transgender, non-binary, and gender-nonconforming individuals; and
WHEREAS, conversion therapy leads to critical health risks including anxiety, depression, decreased self-esteem, substance abuse, homelessness, and suicide; and
WHEREAS, this year has also brought the loss of important trans members of our local community including Thomas ‘Tom-Tom’ Robertson, Lisa Love, Dominic Dupree (aka Dominic Palace), Chyna Long, and Cashay Henderson and Unique Banks; and
WHEREAS, Transgender Awareness Week aims to raise awareness about critical issues facing the community and to celebrate the richness and diversity that exists within the transgender community; and
WHEREAS, we celebrate the great work of trans-led organizations and individuals who have advanced visibility and the well-being of the transgender community; and
WHEREAS, we commit to listening to transgender, non-binary, and gender-nonconforming people as we continue to work toward enacting equitable policies to uplift marginalized citizens and eliminating violence toward them; and
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the Board of Commissioners of Cook County that the Board does hereby celebrate Transgender Awareness Week 2023; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that suitable copies be given to local organizations serving the transgender community.
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