Turning Transgender Awareness Into Action

Floor Speech

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Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I rise today in honor of Transgender Awareness Week.

Trans Americans made history this year by running and winning in more elections than ever before. Breakthrough representations in media have led to historic numbers of transgender and nonbinary characters on screen. In many ways, transgender Americans are more visible than ever.

At the same time, the trans community has been forced to withstand severe attacks from laws that would strip fundamental rights to dehumanizing vitriol deployed by elected officials and public figures. These attacks treat trans people as threats to society rather than neighbors, parents, children, friends, and loved ones.

There are more than 2 million people in the United States that identify as transgender or nonbinary. Trans Americans exist in all walks of life all across the country. This transgender week, I call on my colleagues to turn awareness into action.

To the trans community, you have allies in Congress. Let it be known that there has been no greater friend of trans people in this country or LGBTQ people than Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

We will not cease the fight to protect and advocate for our transgender siblings, not just this week but all year long.

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