[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 221 Introduced in House (IH)]

113th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 221

   Supporting the goals and ideals of the International Day Against 
                      Homophobia and Transphobia.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 17, 2013

   Ms. Lee of California (for herself, Mr. Cicilline, Mr. Polis, Mr. 
Pocan, Mr. Moran, Mr. Sean Patrick Maloney of New York, Mr. Takano, Ms. 
Hahn, Mr. Engel, Mr. Schiff, Ms. McCollum, Mr. Pallone, Mr. Vargas, Mr. 
Smith of Washington, Mr. Carson of Indiana, Mr. Tonko, Ms. Schakowsky, 
 Mr. Veasey, Ms. Norton, Ms. Kuster, Mr. Lowenthal, Mrs. Christensen, 
 Mr. Hastings of Florida, Mr. Gutierrez, and Mr. Larsen of Washington) 
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 
  on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committees on Energy and 
     Commerce and Education and the Workforce, for a period to be 
subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration 
  of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee 
                               concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
   Supporting the goals and ideals of the International Day Against 
                      Homophobia and Transphobia.

Whereas at least 9,000,000 Americans identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or 
        transgender (LGBT), including 2,500,000 who are school-age youth;
Whereas, according to a February 2013 report by the Williams Institute, an 
        estimated 3,000,000 LGBT Americans have had a child and as many as 
        6,000,000 American children and adults have a LGBT parent;
Whereas, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, homophobia 
        and transphobia contribute to disparities in physical and mental health 
        indicators such as depression, substance use, cancer, and experiences of 
        abuse and violence;
Whereas the Centers further report that homophobia and transphobia limit an 
        individual's ability to access high-quality health care and negatively 
        affects such individual's income and employment status;
Whereas homophobia and transphobia are associated with minority stress that may 
        underlie sexual behaviors that can increase risk of HIV and AIDS 
        transmission, and also create additional barriers for LGBT individuals 
        to access prevention and treatment for HIV and AIDS;
Whereas, according to the Global Commission on HIV and the Law, homophobia and 
        transphobia contributes to disproportionately high rates of HIV among 
        men who have sex with men and transgender women;
Whereas, according to a 2011 survey by the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education 
        Network, 8 out of 10 students who identify as LGBT were harassed at 
        school in the past year due to their sexual orientation, 64 percent felt 
        unsafe at school, and 30 percent skipped an entire day of school in the 
        past month because of safety concerns;
Whereas youth who are LGBT or are perceived to identify as LGBT are more likely 
        to smoke, use alcohol and drugs, skip school, or engage in other risky 
        behaviors, and LGBT youth account for up to 40 percent of approximately 
        2,000,000 homeless youth who are likely to lack access to health care 
        and develop stress-related disorders;
Whereas youth who identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual are four times more 
        likely to attempt suicide, and youth who are questioning their sexual 
        orientation are three times more likely to attempt suicide, as compared 
        to their heterosexual counterparts;
Whereas 41 percent of Americans who identify as transgender have attempted 
        suicide, and 19 percent report refusal of medical care;
Whereas LGBT families are often not granted equal access to health insurance and 
        are more likely to live in poverty;
Whereas anti-LGBT violence is the third most frequent bias crime, and among 
        those reporting this crime, transgender women, people of color, and 
        youth faced the most severe violence as a result of the crime;
Whereas 76 countries still criminalize homosexuality, and LGBT people in these 
        countries face violence, increased discrimination, and blackmail;
Whereas, according to a recent study across 15 countries, transgender women were 
        nearly 50 times more likely to have HIV, and there were 1,123 reported 
        killings of transgender people in 57 countries between 2008 and 2012; 
        and
Whereas the European Parliament and other international bodies observe May 17 as 
        an International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia: Now, therefore, 
        be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) supports the goals and ideals of an International Day 
        Against Homophobia and Transphobia;
            (2) encourages the Federal Government, States, localities, 
        nonprofit organizations, schools, and community organizations 
        to observe the day with appropriate programs and activities, 
        with the goal of increasing public knowledge of homophobia and 
        transphobia and empowering communities to celebrate and respect 
        their diversity;
            (3) encourages health care providers to offer culturally 
        and clinically competent care to the LGBT community, schools to 
        support the creation of gay-straight alliances to achieve safer 
        learning environments, and individuals to learn about national 
        resources for those who identify as LGBT; and
            (4) encourages the Federal Government, States, 
        international funding organizations, and U.S. bilateral and 
        multilateral aid efforts to prioritize the health and human 
        rights of LGBT people.
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