Aug 22, 2022
Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (WA-07) held an event last week in Seattle launching the Trans Bill of Rights, a bill introduced earlier this summer along with co-sponsors David Cicilline (RI-01), Marie Newman (IL-03), Mark Takano (CA-41), and Ritchie Torres (NY-15).
This resolution would provide protections for transgender and nonbinary people, ensuring that they are not discriminated against or persecuted for their gender identity and expression. It comes shortly after the Supreme Court gutted Roe v. Wade, stripping many of their constitutional right to choose, and as the Court seems poised and willing to take on other hard-earned constitutional rights.
“As we witness Republicans and an extremist Supreme Court attack and roll back the fundamental rights of trans people across our country, and as state legislatures across the country target our trans community with hateful, bigoted, and transphobic attacks, we are standing up and saying enough is enough,” said Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and Co-Chair of the Transgender Equality Task Force. “Our Trans Bill of Rights says clearly to the trans community across the country that we see you and we will stand with you to ensure you are protected and given the dignity and respect that every person should have. We know that trans people, and trans people of color in particular, face some of the greatest barriers in access to opportunity, services and resources, and facing some of the worst discrimination. With this resolution, we salute the resilience and courage of trans people across our country, and outline a clear vision of what we must do in Congress in order to allow trans people to lead lead full, happy lives with the basic freedoms to housing, physical and mental healthcare, and employment without discrimination or a risk to their lives.”
GSBA Vice Chair Eve was present at the launch event and shared how “It’s important to touch on the need for an equal standard across the country, so that trans people are safe and equal outside of the bubbles. Since many businesses in our area are supportive of their transgender employees, these laws support them in providing a reasonable expectation of how to hire and offer benefits to all their employees, and that their employees can engage in business travel safely too. We have an opportunity now ensure that a generation of young people can transition and prepare for their lives as adults free from much of the trauma that older transgender people have experienced and we are both thrilled and dedicated to be able to give them that opportunity.”
Video of the launch event can be seen on Seattle Indivisible’s Facebook page, including speeches from Rep. Jayapal and leaders from Lavender Rights Project.
