Congressional Forum Opening Statement

Introduction of the Transgender Equality Task Force

November 17th, 2015 2226 RHOB 2:00 p.m.
Good afternoon and welcome to our forum entitled Violence Against Transgender Individuals
a forum on the national crisis of violence facing the transgender community.
While I am the Chair of the Transgender Equality Task Force, this was a joint effort, sponsored
by members of the Transgender Equality Task Force and the LGBT Equality Caucus.
Today, we have two 45-minute panels. I will chair the first panel entitled Causes and Impacts of
Violence against Transgender People.
My good friend Representative Mark Takano of California will chair the second panel entitled
Policy Solutions for a National Crisis of Violence, beginning at 3:00 p.m.
[Introduce Members who are in hearing room; name remaining members as those will join
soon]
I am joined by:
Co-Chair of the LGBT Equality Caucus, Rep. Jared Polis of Colorado
Co-Chair of the LGBT Equality Caucus, Rep. David Cicilline of Rhode Island
Vice Chair of the LGBT Equality Caucus, Rep. Barbara Lee of California, and
Member of the Transgender Equality Task Force and LGBT Equality Caucus, Rep. Joe Kennedy
of Massachusetts
[pause]
Acceptance. Its more than just a word to me.
[pause]
Its a deeply personal experience.
[pause]
Im a proud jichan, or grandfather, of a transgender granddaughter. And I want to make sure she
grows up in a world thats accepting, safe, and just. She and all the other trans kids are why I am
here today.
I know we cannot have equality without acceptance.

Our countrys greatest civil rights movements began with the long and difficult path to
acceptance, from women as citizens, African Americans and blacks as equals, individuals with
disabilities as capable, to lesbian, gay and bisexual people as our peers.
The protection of all communities is one that remains of great concern to all Members of
Congress, and especially those communities that have unfortunately been disproportionately
victimized by violence.
While the overall violence against LGBT people went down by 32 percent, crimes against
transgender people rose by 13 percent.
Today, transgender women are more than four times as likely to be murdered in the U.S. than
other women.
The LGBT Equality Caucus and the Transgender Equality Task Force created this forum to bring
together a coalition of families, advocates, lawmakers, and other leaders to address the daily
realities that conspire to put transgender people in harms way.
We are here today to remember the known 22 transgender people who have died this year to
anti-transgender violence, but this Forum is also here to remember the many unknown
transgender people who have died to anti-transgender violence.
We are here today for the one million transgender people, and their friends and family.
We must end this national crisis of violence.
Congress must act, but first we must listen.
At this time, I would like to introduce all of our panelists. We have:
LaLa Zannell, Community Organizer of the Anti-Violence Project.
Catherine Hyde, Regional Director of PFLAG - Parents, Families, Friends, and Allies United
with LGBTQ People Mid-Atlantic
Joanna Cifredo, a writer, advocate and advisor to the Washington, DC Mayors office of LGBTQ
affairs.
Major Irene Burks, Assistant Inspector General of the Prince Georges County Police
Department
Isa Noyola, Program Director of the Transgender Law Center based in Oakland, California
In the interest of time, Members are able to give brief remarks, no more than 5 minutes, so that
we can hear from all of our panelists.