Lambda Legal Commemorates Transgender Day of Remembrance

(New York, November 19, 2010)—Today, in recognition of Transgender Day of Remembrance, Lambda Legal issued the following statement by Executive Director Kevin Cathcart:

"On the 12th annual Transgender Day of Remembrance, we remember those we've lost because of anti-transgender hatred and violence—many of whose stories aren't covered by the media.

"Since the uprising at Stonewall, transgender people have been on the frontlines fighting for all of us—for our right to live our lives in accordance with who we are. And because transgender people are often the most vulnerable members of our community, they often bear the brunt of the harassment, discrimination, and physical violence aimed at our community as a whole.

"Lambda Legal continues to fight for the rights of transgender people at work, in school, and in every aspect of their daily lives. We fought an Indiana school district when our client K.K. Logan, a transgender woman, was rejected from her high school prom for wearing a dress; we filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of transgender women incarcerated in Wisconsin who were barred from receiving transition-related health care; and this summer, our client Vandy Beth Glenn who was fired from her job as a legislative editor by the Georgia General Assembly based on her gender identity was vindicated when a federal court ruled that her termination was illegal and discriminatory.

"Lambda Legal's 2009 survey on health care fairness, When Health Isn't Caring, revealed that 70 percent of all transgender and gender nonconforming respondents had experienced discrimination in health care settings—we need laws that guarantee equal access to health care. Transgender people also continue to be vulnerable on the job. Until Congress passes the federal Employment Nondiscrimination Act (ENDA), too many transgender people can be fired or face job discrimination based on their gender identity and expression or sexual orientation.

"Each year, we remember those transgender people who have been the targets of hatred and discrimination. But remembering is not enough. Today, we recommit ourselves to the ongoing fight for equality."

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