Chicago City Wire

Cook County Board of Commissioners Human Relations Committee met Dec. 18

Here are the minutes provided by the committee:

ATTENDANCE 

Present: Trevor, Anaya, Miller, Quezada and Stamps (5) 

Absent: K. Morrison (1)(excused) 

PUBLIC TESTIMONY 

George Blakemore (Concerned Citizen) 

COMMITTEE MINUTES 

25-0477 

COMMITTEE MINUTES 

Approval of the minutes from the meeting of 10/23/2024. 

A motion was made by Commissioner Quezada, seconded by Commissioner Stamps, to approve 25-0477. The motion carried by the following vote: 

Ayes: Trevor, Anaya, Miller, Quezada and Stamps (5) 

Absent: K. Morrison (1) 

Sponsored by: Monica Gordon, ANTHONY J. QUEZADA, KEVIN B. MORRISON, MAGGIE TREVOR and JOSINA MORITA, Cook County Board Of Commissioners 

PROPOSED RESOLUTION 

RAISING AWARENESS OF THE DISAPPEARANCE OF TRANS WOMEN 

WHEREAS, Taylor Casey, 42, a transwoman from Chicago, was last seen on June 19, 2024 on Paradise Island, which is adjacent to Nassau, the Bahamas' capital; and 

WHEREAS, The Windy City Times described Casey as a fixture of Chicago's transgender community and a beloved youth advocate." And 

WHEREAS, since the day of her disappearance, local authorities have made little to towards finding Taylor Casey or solving her case in order to explain her disappearance; and no progress 

WHEREAS, Casey's case is only one of countless of disappearances in the country that go unsolved, overlooked or simply ignored, exemplifying the disparity in attention towards transgender people's victimization. According to a study by the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law published in 2021, transgender people are over four times more likely than cisgender people to experience violent victimization, including rape, sexual assault, and aggravated or simple assault; and 

WHEREAS, according to a 2023 Human Rights Campaign Foundation report, Black transgender women, who face multiple layers of violence due to their gender identity, gender, and race, comprise 62% of all victims of violence against transgender and gender non-conforming people; and 

WHEREAS, families, friends and loved ones of the missing trans women, hoping to find their loved one alive and well, suffer the despair of thinking the worst while the cases remain unsolved, or not investigated; and 

WHEREAS, trans and gender non-conforming people face many forms of stigma, including lack of acceptance by friends and family, a hostile political climate and negative stereotypes or lack of representation in pop culture and the media. These factors lead to their dehumanization and increase their risk of becoming victims of violence; and 

WHEREAS, in 2023 and 2024 the Cook County Board of Commissioners held hearings to understand the cases of missing and murdered Black women in Cook County and to discuss the ongoing violence and systemic barriers against Cook County transgender residents; and 

WHEREAS, it is incumbent upon this government to ensure the safety of all residents of this County and demand that more be done to find those who are missing, expedite and solve their cases and protect those most vulnerable in our County. 

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Cook County Board of Commissioners does hereby join in the effort to find our missing trans women and specifically amplify Taylor Casey's case by appealing to the residents of our County for help in finding Taylor. 

A motion Was made by Commissioner Quezada, seconded by Commissioner Stamps, to recommend for approval 24-6463. The motion carried by the following vote: 

Ayes: Trevor, Anaya, Miller, Quezada and Stamps (5) 

Absent: K. Morrison (1) 

ADJOURNMENT 

A motion was made by Commissioner Miller, seconded by Commissioner Stamps, to adjourn the meeting.. The motion carried by the following vote: 

Ayes: Trevor, Anaya, Miller, Quezada and Stamps (5) 

Absent: K. Morrison (1) 

https://cook-county.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=M&ID=1253510&GUID=0941F0F4-171A-4A0B-BAF1-B49107DF4AE0