Elizabeth Warren once again uses national platform to highlight violence against trans women of colour
Democratic presidential hopeful Senator Elizabeth Warren participates of the seventh Democratic primary debate of the 2020 presidential campaign season co-hosted by CNN and the Des Moines Register at the Drake University campus in Des Moines, Iowa on January 14 2020. (ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty)
Senator Elizabeth Warren has once again used a national platform to highlight the epidemic of violence against trans women of colour.
In her closing remarks at the January 14 Democratic presidential debate in Des Moines, Iowa, which saw almost no discussion of LGBT+ issues, she said she had used the break in the debate to make notes on all of the important things that hadn’t yet been discussed.
The presidential hopeful used the moment to highlight that no one had spoken about “how trans women, particularly trans women of colour, are at risk”.
She also brought up mental illness, “how the disability community is struggling for true equality”, black infant mortality, gun violence and “climate change that particularly hits black and brown communities”.
Warren continued: “And yet I come here tonight with a heart filled with hope. And it’s filled with hope because I see this as our moment in history, our moment when no one is left on the sidelines, our moment when we understand that it comes to us to decide the future of this country, our moment when we build the movement to make real change.
“Hope and courage. That is how I will make you proud every day, as your nominee and as the first woman president of the United States of America.”
I come here tonight with a heart filled with hope because this is our moment in history. Our moment when no one is left on the sidelines—our moment when we build the movement to make real change. #DemDebate pic.twitter.com/7SwazDy672
— Elizabeth Warren (@ewarren) January 15, 2020
Warren has been widely praised for being the only candidate to mention trans women of colour in the debate.
Charlotte Clymer, of Human Rights Campaign (HRC) wrote on Twitter: “Making a donation to Elizabeth Warren tonight solely because she was the only candidate to specifically mention trans rights. I’m so glad there’s a candidate up there giving visibility to trans folks on a national stage.”
Making a donation to Elizabeth Warren tonight solely because she was the only candidate to specifically mention trans rights. I'm so glad there's a candidate up there giving visibility to trans folks on a national stage.#DemDebate— Charlotte Clymer 🇺🇦 (@cmclymer) January 15, 2020
One person said Warren’s comments “deeply mattered”, and another added: “President Elizabeth Warren just made me cry with her closing statement.
“Thank you for reminding America that trans women of color are targeted, that we genuinely fear gun violence, that people are in poverty. You are my candidate.“
Elizabeth Warren being the only candidate to bring up trans women of color tonight deeply matters.— pfpicardi (@pfpicardi) January 15, 2020
Ok, I’m not just saying this, but President Elizabeth Warren just made me cry with her closing statement. Thank you for reminding America that trans women of color are targeted, that we genuinely fear gun violence, that ppl are in poverty. You are my candidate. #presidentwarren— Amie Wexler (@am_wex) January 15, 2020
Warren has made a series of pledges to LGBT+ community, focusing on stopping violence against trans women of colour.
Last month, Warren revealed that – if she becomes the next president – she would read the names of all the trans people murdered every year in the White House rose garden, and this week she promised to stop the US from imprisoning trans women in men’s prisons.
