Recognizing Transgender Day of Visibility

Floor Speech

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Ms. PRESSLEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Transgender Day of Visibility.

I am introducing my bill, the Name Accuracy in Credit Reporting Act, legislation that is informed by the lived experiences of transgender and nonbinary people throughout the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and our country.

My bill will rectify the inequities and inaccuracies in credit reporting, which disproportionately impact transgender and nonbinary people.

During their transition, many transgender people choose to legally change their names. However, even after their legal name change is finalized, their credit report continues to deadname them, or refer to them by their prior name.

Deadnaming a trans person in their credit report comes with many harms to one's mental health and financial well-being. When external entities like potential lenders or employers receive the inaccurate credit reports, transgender folks are exposed to discrimination and harassment in credit services, housing, and employment.

Further, some trans and nonbinary consumers have reported that when they change their name, the credit bureaus fragment their credit report, resulting in a loss of credit history and a drop in their credit score.

My bill will improve accuracy in consumer reporting and increase access to housing, jobs, and credit for transgender and nonbinary people by preventing their unfair denials that result after a name change.

The status quo is unjust, inaccurate, and unsafe for transgender and nonbinary people. We know that the credit bureaus can easily make these changes. They do this every day when people change their name to get married. It is past time that we realize trans justice is economic justice.

My bill has the support of key advocates and trusted voices, but most importantly, it is endorsed by transgender and nonbinary people who have been impacted by these issues. I am a firm believer that the people closest to the pain should be the closest to the power, driving and informing the policymaking.

On this Transgender Day of Visibility, may we, as Members of Congress, renew our efforts to condemn transphobia in all of its forms. The rhetoric is harmful, the policy is violent, and it stands to harm our most vulnerable and marginalized communities.

May we stand with trans students who deserve to learn in a school environment free from hate. May we stand with the parents who are raising trans children fighting to make a safer world for them. May we stand with the community organizers, movement builders, and status quo disrupters who are on the front lines of trans liberation. May we do more than espouse the values of equality and freedom but actually practice them to include all people.

When we say Black lives matter, that must include Black trans lives. In the fight for human rights, we must affirm that trans rights are human rights. When we evoke the words of Fannie Lou Hamer that nobody is free until we all are free, that must include our siblings in the trans community.

No doubt, the trans community, our neighbors and loved ones, have experienced disparate harm, hardship, and violence. But the transgender community is certainly much more than their pain and trauma. I thank them for showing up every day as their authentic selves and living their lives unapologetically. I thank them for the roles they play every day as public officials, as small business owners, as veterans, and more.

This is true across our country, including in my district, the Massachusetts 7th.

Organizers like Tre'Andre Carmel Valentine, who advocates for trans and nonbinary folks and has established a leadership academy to create new opportunities for employment and education.

De'zyre Dupree Lewis, who serves as a lead community health worker helping residents throughout the district access needed care.

Armani Pasqual, another leader who is dedicated to transformational change and manages a reentry program and combats hunger among those experiencing housing insecurity.

They, and so many others in the trans community, are rightfully taking up space while simultaneously creating space, utilizing their talents and skills to shape the Massachusetts 7th and beyond into a stronger and more beautiful place to live.

I am truly humbled to serve as their Congresswoman, and I will never stop fighting for bold and intentional policy solutions that promote and support their healing, safety, and justice.

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