[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 160 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 160

 Recognizing Black History Month as an important time to celebrate the 
 remarkable and unique contributions of all LGBTQI+ Black Americans in 
                         United States history.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 24, 2023

Ms. Lee of California (for herself, Mr. Torres of New York, Mr. Pocan, 
    Ms. Adams, Ms. Bonamici, Ms. Bush, Mr. Cardenas, Mr. Carter of 
  Louisiana, Mr. Case, Ms. Castor of Florida, Mr. Evans, Mr. Green of 
Texas, Mr. Grijalva, Mr. Horsford, Ms. Jacobs, Mr. Johnson of Georgia, 
  Ms. Kamlager-Dove, Ms. Lofgren, Mr. Lynch, Ms. Meng, Mr. Payne, Ms. 
   Porter, Ms. Pressley, Mr. Raskin, Ms. Schakowsky, Mr. Takano, Ms. 
 Titus, Ms. Tlaib, Ms. Velazquez, Mrs. Watson Coleman, Ms. Williams of 
Georgia, and Ms. Wilson of Florida) submitted the following resolution; 
  which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Accountability

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Recognizing Black History Month as an important time to celebrate the 
 remarkable and unique contributions of all LGBTQI+ Black Americans in 
                         United States history.

Whereas Black History Month is a historic tradition beginning in 1926 to honor 
        and celebrate the aspirations and accomplishments of Black individuals, 
        both past and contemporary;
Whereas our Nation has been enriched by the countless contributions of 
        generations of LGBTQI+ Black individuals, most of whom have never been 
        seen or recognized;
Whereas untold LGBTQI+ Black individuals have experienced the compounding 
        impacts of racism and anti-LGBTQI+ bias and hatred, but nonetheless 
        continued to fight for justice and equity;
Whereas it is critically important to reflect upon and celebrate the unique 
        contributions that Black LGBTQI+ leaders have made throughout the 
        history of our Nation;
Whereas Alvin Ailey was a famed dancer and choreographer, who moved audiences 
        with his thrillingly theatrical dance moves for decades;
Whereas James Baldwin was a powerful novelist, playwright, and social critic, 
        who educated and prodded our Nation's conscience with his words;
Whereas Glenn Burke, a Major League Baseball player for the Los Angeles Dodgers 
        and Oakland Athletics, was the league's first openly gay player and 
        delighted the world by inventing the high-five;
Whereas Patrisse Cullors and Alicia Garza, two of the three founders of Black 
        Lives Matter, inspired a civil rights movement grounded in justice and 
        equality;
Whereas Andrea Jenkins is the first openly transgender woman to be elected to 
        public office in the State of Minnesota and the first Black transgender 
        woman elected to public office in the Nation;
Whereas Martin Jenkins made history in 2020 as the first openly gay California 
        Supreme Court Justice and just the third Black man to serve on the 
        State's highest court;
Whereas Marsha P. Johnson was a transgender rights activist and drag performer 
        who fought anti-LGBTQI+ police raids and helped lead the Stonewall 
        Uprising in June 1969;
Whereas Barbara Jordan was a lawyer, civil rights leader, and the first African 
        American elected to the House of Representatives from Texas;
Whereas Simone Bell made history as the first out Black lesbian ever elected to 
        serve in a State legislature;
Whereas Storme DeLarverie, born in 1920, was a drag king performer of the Jewel 
        Box Revue and a community advocate;
Whereas Lori Lightfoot made history in 2019, when she was elected the first 
        openly LGBTQI+ person and first Black woman to serve as mayor of 
        Chicago, the Nation's third largest city;
Whereas Karine Jean-Pierre made history in 2022, when she was selected the first 
        openly LGBTQI+ person and first Black woman to serve as White House 
        Press Secretary;
Whereas Angela Davis has been a radical champion of civil rights and social 
        justice as an author, professor, scholar, and activist for LGBTQI+ 
        rights, gender equity, and anti-racism;
Whereas Audre Lorde, an acclaimed poet, author, and essayist, gave countless 
        readers the gift of her insights on race, class, and gender;
Whereas Miss Major Griffin-Gracy, a transgender activist and Stonewall Uprising 
        veteran, has spoken out for justice for marginalized communities for 
        decades;
Whereas Frances Thompson, a former slave, made history as the first transgender 
        woman to testify before a congressional committee in 1886;
Whereas Pauli Murray, LGBTQI+ feminist, author, lawyer, and minister was the 
        first Black woman to be ordained an Episcopal priest;
Whereas Ron Oden made history in Palm Springs, California, as the first Black 
        openly gay mayor of a United States city;
Whereas Bayard Rustin was a civil rights activist who stood shoulder-to-shoulder 
        with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and the organizer of the 1963 March on 
        Washington;
Whereas Sean Saifa Wall, a Black intersex and transgender activist, speaks out 
        against surgical and medical interventions on intersex infants and 
        fights for intersex liberation entwined with Black liberation;
Whereas Bria Brown-King was the first intersex person to speak about intersex 
        issues on the steps of the Supreme Court;
Whereas Jewel Thais-Williams founded Jewel's Catch One in 1973 as an inclusive, 
        welcoming space for Black LGBTQI+ Angelenos to gather and celebrate 
        alongside legendary performers such as Whitney Houston, Janet Jackson, 
        Donna Summer, and Whoopi Goldberg;
Whereas Jahni Leggett is a passionate advocate for intersex youth of color and 
        fights against medically unnecessary surgeries performed on intersex 
        babies and children;
Whereas Black advocates have deep and valuable experience promoting equality and 
        are now leading major LGBTQI+ advocacy groups, including Kelley Robinson 
        at the Human Rights Campaign, Imani Rupert-Gordon at National Center for 
        Lesbian Rights, Kierra Johnson at National LGBTQ Task Force, David Johns 
        at National Black Justice Coalition, Gabriel Foster at Trans Justice 
        Funding Project, Carter Brown at Black TransMen Inc., Melanie 
        Willingham-Jaggers at GLSEN, and Stacey Stevenson at Family Equality 
        Council; and
Whereas Phill Wilson is the visionary founder of the Black AIDS Institute and a 
        tireless advocate for people living with HIV: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives recognizes Black 
History Month as an important time to celebrate the remarkable and 
unique contributions of all LGBTQI+ Black Americans in United States 
history--those whose names we easily recognize and those whose names we 
will never know.
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