Joe Biden acknowledged ''Transgender Day of Remembrance'' on Friday by issuing a statement via a pair of Twitter posts that vowed to advocate for ''gender non-conforming'' people in his administration.
''To transgender and gender-nonconforming people across America and around the world: from the moment I am sworn in as president, know that my administration will see you, listen to you, and fight for not only your safety but also the dignity and justice you have been denied,'' Biden wrote.
The other post referred to 37 transgender people, those who identify with the sex opposite of the one they were born, who have been killed this year in an ''epidemic of violence.''
Transgender Day of Remembrance is annually commemorated on Nov. 20 by homosexual and transgender advocates after being started in 1999 by activist Gwendolyn Ann Smith, who initiated it following the killing of Black transgender woman Rita Hester.
''On Transgender Day of Remembrance, we honor their lives — and recommit to the work that remains to ensure that every transgender and gender-nonconforming person in America has the opportunity to live authentically, earn a living wage, and be treated with dignity and respect in their communities and workplaces,'' Biden said in a statement quoted by Breitbart.com.
The statement comes days after Biden announced he was appointing Shawn Skelly, a transgender woman and former Obama administration official, to his transition team. A retired Navy flight officer, Kelly is to review Pentagon policies and staffing.
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