Whereas an estimated 1.4 million American adults are transgender; Whereas transgender people have contributed much to American society but continue to face severe discrimination and violence; Whereas, in 1998, Rita Hester, a transgender woman of color, was murdered, and her murder has yet to be solved; Whereas, the following year on November 20, 1999, Gwendolyn Ann Smith created the first Transgender Day of Remembrance in honor of Rita Hester and other transgender people who had lost their lives to violence, and this date has been commemorated ever since; Whereas the United States is currently witnessing an epidemic of violence against transgender people, in particular transgender women of color, with at least 28 members of this community known to have been killed in 2018 and at least 22 killed thus far in 2019; Whereas the United States has one of the highest rates of murder of transgender people; Whereas young Black transgender women have a far greater chance of being murdered as compared to the general public; Whereas reports of violence and killings of transgender people are likely to be significantly undercounted due to a variety of factors including the misgendering of victims and fear of reporting; Whereas transgender people suffer from disproportionate rates of homelessness, with reports suggesting as many as one-third of transgender people have experienced homelessness; Whereas 19 percent of all transgender people report being refused medical care, with even higher rates for transgender people of color; Whereas almost half of all transgender people in the United States will attempt suicide at one point in their lifetime, a rate that is eight times higher than the rest of the United States population