Ending Murders of Violence Against Black Transgender Women and Supporting Transgender Communities

WHEREAS, "transgender" is defined by the Human Rights Campaign as "an umbrella term for people whose gender identity and/or expression is different from cultural expectations based on the sex they were assigned at birth; and

WHEREAS, at least 22 transgender people were been killed in the United States in 2018 — 82 percent of them were women of color; 64 percent were under the age of 35; 55 percent lived in the South; and

WHEREAS, at least at least 28 transgender people were killed in 2017, which was the most on record, again disproportionately targeting transgender women of color and Black women in particular; and

WHEREAS, the murder of transgender people is significantly underreported because data collection is often incomplete or unreliable because some victims' deaths may go unreported, some victims may not be identified as transgender due to the refusal of law enforcement, journalists and/or family members refuse to acknowledge gender identity; and

WHEREAS, transgender women of color face enormously high rates of homelessness, unemployment, negative health outcomes, rates of depression and suicidal ideation, discrimination in their families, unjust treatment when seeking help from law enforcement, and homicide due to their transgender identity; and

WHEREAS, the Trump Administration continues to push egregious policies that harm transgender communities and wither away equal protection under the law; and

WHEREAS, the United States Supreme Court will consider whether the Civil Rights Act of 1964 guarantees protections from workplace discrimination to gay and transgender people; and

WHEREAS, the NAACP will recognize the deaths of transgender women of color, who suffer violence and homicide at disproportionate rates.

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the NAACP will work with all of its Units to work to support equal protection for transgender individuals so that all members of our community can live free of violence, shame and discrimination.