[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 329 Introduced in House (IH)]

114th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 329

 Encouraging the celebration of the month of June as LGBTQ Pride Month.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 18, 2015

  Mr. Al Green of Texas (for himself, Ms. Sinema, Mr. Cicilline, Mr. 
Polis, Mr. Sean Patrick Maloney of New York, Mr. Pocan, Mr. Takano, and 
Ms. Jackson Lee) submitted the following resolution; which was referred 
                   to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Encouraging the celebration of the month of June as LGBTQ Pride Month.

Whereas the Honorable Barney Frank, Member of Congress from 1981 to 2013, is 
        recognized as an honorary cosponsor of this resolution;
Whereas Members of this Congress support the rights, freedoms, and equality of 
        those who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ);
Whereas those who took a stand for human rights and dignity at the Stonewall Inn 
        in New York City on June 28, 1969, are among the pioneers within this 
        movement;
Whereas the LGBTQ Stonewall protestors were subject to police harassment and 
        invidious discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender 
        identity;
Whereas this decisive moment in history was followed by the creation of gay 
        rights organizations in every major city in the United States within two 
        years of the Stonewall uprising;
Whereas the Stonewall uprising has been followed by many positive progressive 
        historic moments;
Whereas in December of 1973, the board of the American Psychiatric Association 
        voted to remove homosexuality from its list of mental illnesses;
Whereas in 1974, Elaine Noble became the first openly LGBTQ candidate elected to 
        a State legislature in the United States when she won a seat in the 
        Massachusetts House of Representatives;
Whereas in 1975, the Civil Service Commission eliminated the ban on the 
        employment of homosexuals in most Federal jobs;
Whereas, on January 8, 1978, Harvey Milk made national news when he was sworn in 
        as an openly gay member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors;
Whereas in October of 1979, 75,000 people participated in the National March on 
        Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights to demand equal civil rights;
Whereas in 1980, Democrats took a stance in support of gay rights at the 
        Democratic National Convention;
Whereas in October of 1987, thousands of activists took part in the National 
        March on Washington to demand that President Reagan address the AIDS 
        crisis;
Whereas in 1987, Congressman Barney Frank of Massachusetts became the first 
        Representative to voluntarily come out as an openly gay Member of 
        Congress;
Whereas in May of 1996, in Romer v. Evans, the United States Supreme Court 
        decided that a Colorado constitutional amendment preventing the 
        enactment of protections for gays and lesbians in that State was 
        unconstitutional;
Whereas at the turn of the century in 2000, Vermont became the first State in 
        the country to legally recognize civil unions between gay and lesbian 
        couples;
Whereas, on June 26, 2003, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled in 
        Lawrence v. Texas, that under the 14th Amendment, States could not 
        criminalize the private, intimate relationships of same-sex couples;
Whereas, on October 28, 2009, the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate 
        Crimes Prevention Act was passed by Congress and signed into law by 
        President Obama. The bill expanded existing Federal hate crimes laws to 
        include crimes motivated by a victim's actual or perceived gender, 
        sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability;
Whereas, on January 4, 2010, Mayor Annise D. Parker was sworn in as Houston's 
        first openly gay Mayor;
Whereas in December of 2010, Congress approved and President Obama signed the 
        repeal of the ``Don't Ask, Don't Tell'' law, allowing gays, lesbians, 
        and bisexuals to serve openly in the United States Armed Forces;
Whereas the year 2012 marked the first year that all 50 States in the United 
        States had at least one openly LGBTQ elected official;
Whereas, on January 3, 2013, Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin was sworn in as the 
        first openly gay United States Senator;
Whereas, on June 26, 2013, the United States Supreme Court ruled, in United 
        States v. Windsor, that section three of the Defense of Marriage Act 
        (DOMA) was unconstitutional and that the Federal Government cannot 
        discriminate against married lesbian and gay couples for the purposes of 
        determining Federal benefits and protections;
Whereas the inclusion of our transgender brothers and sisters into United States 
        society continues to expand every day, with an understanding that we 
        will remain steadfast in pursuing the goal of complete equality, 
        respect, and tolerance for all, regardless of the gender a person is 
        assigned at birth; and
Whereas, as of June 2015, 37 States and the District of Columbia grant same-sex 
        marriage: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) recognizes that all Americans should be treated fairly 
        and equally regardless of sexual orientation or gender 
        identity;
            (2) acknowledges the struggle of the Stonewall protestors 
        and countless other lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and 
        queer people for equality;
            (3) encourages the celebration of LGBTQ Pride Month to 
        provide a continuing opportunity for all people in the United 
        States to learn about the discrimination and inequality that 
        has faced, and continues to face, lesbian, gay, bisexual, 
        transgender, and queer people; and
            (4) agrees that the United States must continue to strive 
        to ensure that the promise of equality is realized for all 
        Americans.
                                 <all>