Mary Gay Scanlon: “Today, I rise to recognize Transgender Day of Remembrance and honor the memories of far too many transgender or…”

“Today, I rise to recognize Transgender Day of Remembrance and honor the memories of far too many transgender or gender-nonconforming people, at least 36 of whom were lost this year to fatal violence, the majority of whom were Black and Latinx transgender women. I want to take a moment to lift up the names and stories of a few of the Black transgender women who faced violence this year in the city of Philadelphia to honor their memory, because when we fail to acknowledge this issue, we cannot begin to address it. Dominique ``Rem'mie'' Fells was murdered on July 9. A friend described her as a beautiful and unique soul. We are heartened by the fact that an arrest in her murder has finally occurred. Tracy ``Mia'' Green was murdered on September 28. Her friends and family shared how ``her smile was so perfect and so contagious'' and how she always made people laugh. Kendall Stephens was brutally attacked in her own home on August 24. As she was beaten, her attackers yelled transphobic slurs and said they would ``come back to finish the job.'' Thankfully, Kendall survived the assault and dedicates her work to healing the transgender community in Philadelphia. This violence is motivated by anti-transgender bigotry, and the intersections of employment, housing, and other forms of discrimination put too many transgender people, particularly transgender women of color, at risk of violence. This Transgender Day of Remembrance, we honor those lost, honor their survivors.…”