Item Description:
title
Recognizing March 31, 2024 as Transgender Day of Visibility in Hennepin County - offered by Commissioner Fernando
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Resolution:
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WHEREAS, Transgender Day of Visibility is an annual event observed on March 31 that celebrates and raises awareness of transgender people worldwide; and
WHEREAS, this annual event provides a platform to acknowledge and uplift the contributions and achievements of transgender people and nonbinary people, empowering them to live authentically while also drawing attention to the discrimination and violence the community faces; and
WHEREAS, Hennepin County recognizes that transgender and nonbinary employees, residents, and members of our communities are disproportionately affected by hate crimes and violence while also experiencing compounding challenges in their daily lives due to discrimination such as but not limited to disproportionately high levels of unemployment, barriers to securing stable housing, and exclusion from high quality, affordable and accessible health care; and
WHEREAS, Hennepin County further acknowledges that transphobic violence is inherently connected to race, gender, and class; and in 2020, more than three-quarters of the transgender and nonbinary people killed in the United States were people of color, with Black transgender women at particular risk of violence; and
WHEREAS, it is imperative to consider these intersections of identities as we continue to fight for equity in Hennepin County and in Minnesota; and
WHEREAS, Hennepin County’s Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Employee Resource Group works to address the needs of transgender and gender nonconforming employees, to recommend improvements in serving transgender and gender nonconforming customers, and to broaden a network of allies through outreach and education; and
WHEREAS, by observing the Transgender Day of Visibility, Hennepin County recognizes, admires, and celebrates transgender, gender nonconforming, and nonbinary people in all their joy and resilience.
BE IT RESOLVED, that the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners, do hereby proclaim Sunday, March 31, 2024, as Transgender Day of Visibility in Hennepin County.
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recommendation
Recommendation from County Administrator: Recommend Approval