Biden honors lives lost in deadliest year on record for transgender people

• The statement caps off Transgender Awareness Week, which ran from Nov. 13 to Nov. 19.
• The Human Rights Campaign earlier this month declared 2021 the deadliest year on record for transgender and non-binary people, with at least 45 transgender or gender non-conforming people killed.
• "In spite of our progress strengthening civil rights for LGBTQI+ Americans, too many transgender people still live in fear and face systemic barriers to freedom and equality," Biden said.

The big picture: Biden in his statement also called for the Senate to pass the Equality Act "so that all people are able to live free from fear and discrimination."

• The administration also released a report from the Interagency Working Group on Safety, Opportunity, and Inclusion for Transgender and Gender Diverse Individuals, highlighting steps the administration is taking to address transgender violence.
• Among the steps, the administration seeks to expand the availability of accurate Federal IDs for transgender and gender diverse Americans and increase access to gender-affirming health care, per the statement.

What he's saying: "To ensure that our government protects the civil rights of transgender Americans, I charged my team with coordinating across the federal government to address the epidemic of violence and advance equality for transgender people," Biden said.

• "I continue to call on state leaders and lawmakers to combat the disturbing proliferation of discriminatory state legislation targeting transgender people, especially transgender children."

Go deeper: Biden calls on state lawmakers to defeat anti-LGBTQ bills