Title
To express support for stronger protections and inclusive policies at local shelters for the care and protection of LGBTQ+ people experiencing homelessness in compliance with the Virginia Values Act.
Body
WHEREAS, LGBTQ+ people, especially transgender people, are disproportionately impacted by homelessness; and,
WHEREAS, the 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey, the largest survey of transgender people, found that 30 percent of transgender people have experienced homelessness in their lifetime; and
WHEREAS?, more specifically, Black transgender women face extreme risk of violence and death if unsheltered; and
WHEREAS, in 2019, the Human Rights Campaign documented 27 murders of transgender people in the United States, most of whom were Black transgender women, and in 2020, an additional 25 murders of transgender people in the United States were documented; and
WHEREAS, upon information and belief of the City, the foregoing numbers underrepresent the violence faced by transgender people in the United States; and
WHEREAS, in addition to the high risk of violence, the current political and economic climate continues to put transgender Americans at high risk of discrimination when attempting to access shelter; and
WHEREAS, the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development recently announced their plan to dismantle protections for transgender people seeking shelter; and
WHEREAS, upon information and belief of the City, LGBTQ+ youth is another group affected by a lack of inclusive policies and, according to the Williams Institute, LGBTQ+ youth make up nine percent of the youth population in the United States, yet 40 percent of youth experiencing homelessness identify as LGBTQ+; and
WHEREAS, pursuant to Chapter 1140 of the Acts of Assembly of 2020, known as the Virginia Values Act (hereinafter referred to as the "Act"), the General Assembly of Virginia enacted statewide nondiscrimination protecti...
Click here for full text