Bill Text: CA ACR161 | 2021-2022 | Regular Session | Chaptered
Bill Title: Transgender Day of Visibility.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 48-1)
Status: (Passed) 2022-04-07 - Chaptered by Secretary of State - Res. Chapter 34, Statutes of 2022. [ACR161 Detail]
Download: California-2021-ACR161-Chaptered.html
Assembly Concurrent Resolution
No. 161
CHAPTER 34
Relative to Transgender Day of Visibility.
[
Filed with
Secretary of State
April 07, 2022.
]
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
ACR 161, Lee.
Transgender Day of Visibility.
This measure would proclaim March 31, 2022, as Transgender Day of Visibility.
Digest Key
Fiscal Committee: NOBill Text
WHEREAS, Over one million Americans, including over 300,000 Californians are Trans, Gender Nonconforming, or Intersex (TGI) and have overcome significant hardships to build vibrant and thriving communities, often in the face of systemic and interpersonal prejudice, discrimination, and violence; and
WHEREAS, The International Transgender Day of Visibility encompasses a large community of people, including people who identify as nonbinary and gender nonconforming; and
WHEREAS, We cannot simply celebrate visibility without also recognizing that visibility and representation do not equate to justice; still far too many TGI people, in particular TGI women of color, continue to face profound threats to their safety and well-being; and
WHEREAS, We acknowledge that for many, visibility can mean an increased likelihood of harm, and for each TGI person killed or lost this year and in years past we mourn them, we honor them, and we say their names; and
WHEREAS, The TGI community has suffered disproportionately in many ways, including as victims of workplace and educational discrimination, and violence, and these forms of oppression are exacerbated for TGI people of color; and
WHEREAS, We also celebrate the beauty and resilience of TGI people through history and of those who are with us today, and we recognize that TGI people have contributed and continue to contribute in myriad ways to the betterment of our society and our state, often working at the forefront of social justice activism and human rights work; and
WHEREAS, TGI people, and in particular TGI women of color, including Sylvia Rivera, Miss Major, and Marsha P. Johnson, were instrumental in the creation of the modern gay rights movement in the United States, from the 1965 Dewey lunch counter protests in Philadelphia to the Stonewall riots in 1969 to the creation of radical new civil rights organizations; and
WHEREAS, TGI Americans have made profound strides in challenging social and political norms that had forced many to live in secrecy regarding their gender identity, sentenced them to coercive medical and psychological treatments, and denied them employment and housing opportunities; and
WHEREAS, Civil rights victories won by TGI activists have expanded judicial recognition of constitutional protections for gender identity and expression, and provided a greater number of people with the basic protections needed to ensure human dignity and self-determination; however, these rights are still not universally guaranteed, with laws varying by state and locality and regressive measures still being pursued; and
WHEREAS, As a result of determined activism and advocacy, TGI people now serve as community and educational leaders, reach the highest levels of athletic competition, star in film and television, and serve in prominent government positions, beginning to tear down systemic barriers that have resulted in many years of tragic exclusion; and
WHEREAS, In California and across the country, TGI people have courageously and powerfully organized in response to hate crimes and violence that have been directed at members of their community, especially at TGI women of color, nonetheless receiving insufficient mainstream coverage and recognition; and
WHEREAS, We recognize and celebrate the work that is being done by TGI advocacy groups to continue to fight for dignity and equal rights for members of the TGI community, to build inclusive and healing spaces, and to protect and defend those who are most vulnerable, including people with disabilities and those who are incarcerated; and
WHEREAS, While California is committed to leading the way in extending nondiscrimination protections and equal benefits to TGI people, this commitment is ever more needed in the face of threats that the state governments have made to curtail or abandon enforcement of civil rights protections and to deeply cut health care and other crucial programs; and
WHEREAS, In California, we believe in the inherent value of each and every resident of our state, including especially our TGI residents, without exception; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, the Senate thereof concurring, That the Legislature hereby proclaims March 31, 2022, as Transgender Day of Visibility; and be it further
Resolved, That the Legislature joins communities across our nation to increase awareness about the importance of removing systemic barriers to TGI individuals and upholding human rights for all; and be it further
Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.
