title
PROPOSED RESOLUTION
A RESOLUTION HONORING 2022 TRANSGENDER AWARENESS WEEK
WHEREAS, Transgender Awareness Week is recognized every year from November 13th to November 19th; and
WHEREAS, Transgender Awareness Week is intended to help raise the visibility of transgender people and address issues facing members of the community; and
WHEREAS, along with Transgender Awareness Week, November 20th is recognized internationally as Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR); and
WHEREAS, TDOR honors the memory of the transgender people who lost their lives in acts of anti-transgender violence; 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 and acknowledgements are important affirmations of the lives of transgender people in our communities; and
WHEREAS, transgender, non-binary, and gender-nonconforming people face extreme institutional discrimination and violence; and
WHEREAS, 2022 has brought continued extreme legislative proposals across the country with the express aim of discriminating against transgender people and in particular transgender youth; and
WHEREAS, this year has also brought the loss of important trans members of our local community including Elise Malory and Tatiana Labelle; and
WHEREAS, these proposals target access to healthcare, participation in sports, and right to openly exist for young transgender children who already face immense barriers; 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, 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 2022; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that suitable copies be given to local organizations serving the transgender community.
end