[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 508 Introduced in House (IH)]
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118th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. RES. 508
Honoring the struggle, sacrifice, and triumph of the LGBTQ+ movement in
Georgia.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
June 13, 2023
Mr. David Scott of Georgia (for himself, Mr. Johnson of Georgia, Mrs.
McBath, Ms. Williams of Georgia, Ms. Tlaib, and Mr. Bishop of Georgia)
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee
on the Judiciary
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Honoring the struggle, sacrifice, and triumph of the LGBTQ+ movement in
Georgia.
Whereas LGBTQ+ individuals in Georgia have historically encountered bigotry,
discrimination, hatred, and violence, but have struggled tirelessly to
obtain equal rights and protection of the law;
Whereas, in 1833, the Georgia General Assembly codified a prohibition on same-
sex relations, threatening LGBTQ+ individuals with harsh punishment for
expressing their love;
Whereas, in 1953, 20 gay men were arrested in a sting operation at the Atlanta
Public Library, continuing a pattern of targeted action by members of
law enforcement against the gay community;
Whereas, in 1969, Atlanta police initiated a raid on a movie theater known to be
frequented by gay individuals;
Whereas such events inspired young generations of gay Georgians to rally in a
public manner to promote their cause to end discrimination and guarantee
equality;
Whereas, in 1971, the inaugural Atlanta Gay Pride Parade was organized by the
Georgia Gay Liberation Front, providing an outlet for the LGBTQ+
community to openly display their pride and embrace of gay culture;
Whereas, in 1972, the first Metropolitan Community Church, an LGBTQ+-affirming
Protestant denomination, opened in Atlanta;
Whereas, in 1972, then-Atlanta Mayor Sam Massell appointed Charlie St. John as
the city's first LGBTQ+ liaison to the city government as part of the
Community Relations Commission;
Whereas, in 1974, activist Bill Smith founded the Atlanta Barb, Georgia's first
newspaper dedicated to covering the LGBTQ+ community;
Whereas, in 1976, the Atlanta Gay Center, a community organization that provided
direct support and resources to the LGBTQ+ community, was founded and
opened;
Whereas, in 1978, a bigoted, antigay rally in Georgia drew a crowd of 4,000
people;
Whereas, in 1979, thousands of Georgians joined in the first national March on
Washington for gay rights;
Whereas, by 1981, the HIV/AIDS crisis had come to the forefront of national
attention partly due to the work of the Centers for Disease Control in
Atlanta to study and treat the disease;
Whereas, in 1983, AID Atlanta was formed as an educational and service
organization to educate people on the realities of the HIV/AIDS epidemic
and provide support for those suffering from the disease;
Whereas, throughout the epidemic, gay individuals in Georgia faced large-scale
discrimination and bigotry;
Whereas, in 1983, the Atlanta Campaign for Human Rights was founded, the legacy
of that organization is now carried on by Georgia Equality, with a
mission to ``advance fairness, safety, and opportunities for LGBTQ+
communities'' across the State;
Whereas, in 1984, the Atlanta city government declared the city's first ``Gay
and Lesbian Civil Rights Day'';
Whereas, in 1985, Congregation Bet Haverim opened as Georgia's first LGBTQ+
welcoming synagogue, to serve the expansive interests of the State's
LGBTQ+ Jewish community;
Whereas, in 1986, a challenge to Georgia's repressive laws criminalizing same-
sex relations in Bowers v. Hardwick reached the Supreme Court;
Whereas, in 1988, Southern Voice, an LGBTQ+ newspaper dedicated to serving the
community through breaking news and thoughtful analysis, was founded in
Atlanta;
Whereas, in 1988, then-Mayor Maynard Jackson became the first Atlanta mayor to
attend an LGBTQ+ pride event;
Whereas the 1990s saw a rapid influx of LGBTQ+ individuals into Atlanta in
search of acceptance, understanding, diversity, and equality;
Whereas, in 1997, a domestic terrorist injured five people by bombing the
Otherside Lounge, a lesbian bar in Atlanta;
Whereas, in 1997, Cathy Woolard became the first openly gay individual elected
in Georgia, as a member of the Atlanta City Council;
Whereas, in 1998, the Georgia Supreme Court struck down State law prohibiting
same-sex relations as unconstitutional;
Whereas, in 2003, Fulton County became the first county in the State to
recognize domestic benefits for residents in same-sex unions;
Whereas, in 2015, the Supreme Court decided in Obergefell v. Hodges that same-
sex marriage should be legal and recognized across the country,
representing a massive victory for LGBTQ+ Americans nationwide;
Whereas Georgia is home to an estimated 425,000 individuals identifying as
members of the LGBTQ+ community;
Whereas public opinion polls find that a majority of Georgia residents support
same-sex marriage and support implementing antidiscrimination laws based
on sexual orientation; and
Whereas there are currently no Georgia State laws to protect against LGBTQ+
discrimination in family services, housing, banking, public
accommodations, health care, and education: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) honors the struggle, sacrifice, and triumph of LGBTQ+
individuals in Georgia;
(2) recognizes the historical significance that Georgia has
played in the LGBTQ+ movement; and
(3) recognizes that further work is necessary to guarantee
equality and liberty for all LGBTQ+ individuals both in Georgia
and the United States.
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