On Friday, September 20, ten of the Democratic candidates for President of the United States gathered in Cedar Rapids, Iowa to discuss pertinent issues affecting the LGBTQ community. The LGBTQ Forum, organized by GLAAD, The Advocate, One Iowa, and The Gazette, was hosted by Pose star Angelica Ross and featured important conversations where candidates spoke on proposed policy while also addressing questions about their previous voting records.

A particularly important moment occurred when Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) took time to read aloud the names of the transgender women of color who have been murdered this year in the United States. When asked by moderator Lyz Lenz what LGBTQ Americans could expect within the first 100 days of Warren’s potential presidential term, the senator responded by saying: “I’m not going to tell you, I’m going to show you.”

Warren then continued, speaking the names of the transgender women of color who have been fatally shot or killed in 2019 thus far: “Dana Martin. Jazzaline Ware. Ashanti Carmon. Claire Legato. Muhlaysia Booker. Michelle ‘Tamika’ Washington. Paris Cameron. Chynal Lindsey. Chanel Scurlock. Zoe Spears. Brooklyn Lindsey. Denali Berries Stuckey. Kiki Fantroy. Pebbles LaDime Doe. Tracy Single. Bailey Reeves. Bee Love Slater. Ja’leyah-Jamar.” To a resounding applause and standing ovation, Warren added: “18 trans women of color who have been killed so far this year. It is time for a President of the United States of America to say their names.”

As noted by The Human Rights Campaign (HRC), violence disproportionately affects transgender women of color, who comprise an estimated 4 out of 5 of all anti-transgender homicides. The organization, which has been tracking violence against the transgender community since 2013, explains that this injustice can be traced back to anti-trans stigma, which in turn leads to denial of opportunities, legal barriers, and increased risk factors. The HRC notes that a hostile political climate also plays a role in anti-trans stigma, which is why we need “pro-equality elected officials who are committed to addressing the needs of all of their constituents – including combating the epidemic of anti-transgender violence.”

Friday’s presidential forum also put a spotlight on the importance of LGBTQ-inclusive sex education. As noted by Vox, Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) was the only Democratic candidate to make the push that evening for science-based sex education that speaks to all students. “It’s about time we have a woke president on these issues,” Booker said, per NBC News, “who every day is using their platforms to inspire and ignite justice, compassion, a more courageous empathy, a revival of civic grace, so that we see everyone for the equal dignity and equal citizenship that we all have.”

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