[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 282 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>






118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 282

            Recognizing June 2023 as ``LGBTQ Pride Month''.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             June 22, 2023

   Mr. Brown (for himself, Mrs. Feinstein, Ms. Smith, Mr. Kelly, Mr. 
Padilla, Mr. Bennet, Mr. Hickenlooper, Mr. Blumenthal, Mr. Murphy, Mr. 
Carper, Mr. Coons, Mr. Ossoff, Mr. Warnock, Mr. Schatz, Ms. Hirono, Mr. 
   Durbin, Ms. Duckworth, Mr. King, Mr. Cardin, Mr. Van Hollen, Ms. 
Warren, Mr. Markey, Ms. Stabenow, Mr. Peters, Ms. Klobuchar, Ms. Cortez 
 Masto, Ms. Rosen, Mrs. Shaheen, Ms. Hassan, Mr. Menendez, Mr. Booker, 
 Mr. Heinrich, Mr. Lujan, Mr. Schumer, Mrs. Gillibrand, Mr. Wyden, Mr. 
   Merkley, Mr. Casey, Mr. Fetterman, Mr. Reed, Mr. Whitehouse, Mr. 
 Sanders, Mr. Welch, Mr. Warner, Mr. Kaine, Mrs. Murray, Ms. Cantwell, 
  Ms. Baldwin, Mr. Tester, Mr. Manchin, and Ms. Sinema) submitted the 
   following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the 
                               Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
            Recognizing June 2023 as ``LGBTQ Pride Month''.

Whereas individuals who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer 
        (referred to in this preamble as ``LGBTQ'') include individuals--

    (1) from all States, territories, and the District of Columbia; and

    (2) from all faiths, races, national origins, socioeconomic statuses, 
disability statuses, education levels, and political beliefs;

Whereas LGBTQ individuals in the United States have made, and continue to make, 
        vital contributions to the United States and to the world in every 
        aspect, including in the fields of education, law, health, business, 
        science, research, economic development, architecture, fashion, sports, 
        government, music, film, politics, technology, literature, and civil 
        rights;
Whereas LGBTQ individuals in the United States served on the front lines during 
        the COVID-19 pandemic as doctors, nurses, medical professionals, law 
        enforcement officers, firefighters, and first responders in all States, 
        territories, and the District of Columbia, and continue to serve on the 
        front lines today;
Whereas the persistent failure of Federal and State officials to collect full 
        and accurate data on sexual orientation and gender identity causes 
        tremendous harm to LGBTQ individuals in the United States, who remain 
        largely invisible to the government entities entrusted with ensuring 
        their health, safety, and well-being;
Whereas LGBTQ individuals in the United States serve, and have served, in the 
        United States Army, Coast Guard, Navy, Air Force, and Marines honorably 
        and with distinction and bravery;
Whereas a decades-long Federal policy, known as the ``Lavender Scare'', 
        threatened and intimidated Federal public servants from employment due 
        to their sexual orientation by alleging LGBTQ individuals posed a threat 
        to national security, preventing many more from entering the workforce;
Whereas an estimated number of more than 100,000 brave service members were 
        discharged from the Armed Forces between the beginning of World War II 
        and 2011 because of their sexual orientation, including the discharge of 
        more than 13,000 service members under the ``Don't Ask, Don't Tell'' 
        policy that was in place between 1994 and 2011;
Whereas transgender people were banned from military service from at least 1960, 
        and were not permitted to serve without restriction until 2021;
Whereas LGBTQ individuals in the United States serve, and have served, in 
        positions in the Federal Government and State and local governments, 
        including as members of Congress, Cabinet Secretaries, Governors, 
        mayors, and city council members;
Whereas the demonstrators who protested on June 28, 1969, following a law 
        enforcement raid of the Stonewall Inn, a LGBTQ club in New York City, 
        are pioneers of the LGBTQ movement for equality;
Whereas, throughout much of the history of the United States, same-sex 
        relationships were criminalized in many States, and many LGBTQ 
        individuals in the United States were forced to hide their LGBTQ 
        identities while living in secrecy and fear;
Whereas, on June 26, 2015, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled in 
        Obergefell v. Hodges, 576 U.S. 644 (2015), that same-sex couples have a 
        constitutional right to marry and acknowledged that ``[n]o union is more 
        profound than marriage, for it embodies the highest ideals of love, 
        fidelity, devotion, sacrifice, and family'';
Whereas Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (referred to in this preamble as 
        ``AIDS'') has disproportionately impacted LGBTQ individuals in the 
        United States, due in part to a lack of funding and research devoted to 
        finding effective treatments for AIDS and the Human Immunodeficiency 
        Virus (referred to in this preamble as ``HIV'') during the early stages 
        of the HIV and AIDS epidemic;
Whereas gay and bisexual men and transgender women of color have a higher risk 
        of contracting HIV;
Whereas people living with HIV continue to face discrimination in the United 
        States and, in certain States, may be subject to greater criminal 
        punishment than individuals without HIV;
Whereas the LGBTQ community maintains its unwavering commitment to ending the 
        HIV and AIDS epidemic;
Whereas LGBTQ individuals in the United States face disparities in employment, 
        healthcare, education, housing, and many other areas central to the 
        pursuit of happiness in the United States;
Whereas 28 States have no explicit ban on discrimination based on sexual 
        orientation and gender identity in the workplace, housing, or public 
        accommodations, and 34 States have no explicit ban on discrimination 
        against LGBTQ individuals in education;
Whereas, as a result of discrimination, LGBTQ youth are at increased risk of--

    (1) suicide;

    (2) homelessness;

    (3) becoming victims of bullying, violence, or human trafficking; and

    (4) developing mental health conditions, including anxiety and 
depression;

Whereas only 13 States and the District of Columbia have explicit policies in 
        place to protect foster youth from discrimination based on both sexual 
        orientation and gender identity;
Whereas LGBTQ youth of color are overrepresented in child welfare and juvenile 
        justice systems;
Whereas the LGBTQ community has faced discrimination, inequality, and violence 
        throughout the history of the United States;
Whereas State legislatures across the country have introduced and passed harmful 
        legislation specifically targeting LGBTQ youth, particularly transgender 
        youth, and their ability to obtain access to healthcare, participate in 
        athletic activities, and learn about race, gender, and sexuality in 
        schools;
Whereas LGBTQ individuals in the United States, in particular transgender 
        individuals, face a disproportionately high risk of becoming victims of 
        violent hate crimes;
Whereas members of the LGBTQ community have been targeted in acts of mass 
        violence, including--

    (1) the Club Q nightclub shooting in Colorado Springs, Colorado, on 
November 19, 2022, where 5 people were killed and 25 people were wounded;

    (2) the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando, Florida, on June 12, 2016, 
where 49 people were killed and 53 people were wounded; and

    (3) the arson attack at the UpStairs Lounge in New Orleans, Louisiana, 
on June 24, 1973, where 32 people died;

Whereas LGBTQ individuals face persecution, violence, and death in many parts of 
        the world, including State-sponsored violence like in Uganda, where 
        LGBTQ people live under threat of the death penalty;
Whereas, in the several years preceding 2019, hundreds of LGBTQ individuals 
        around the world were arrested and, in some cases, tortured or even 
        executed because of their actual or perceived sexual orientation or 
        gender identity in countries and territories such as Chechnya, Egypt, 
        Indonesia, and Tanzania;
Whereas, in May 2019, Taiwan became the first place in Asia to extend marriage 
        rights to same-sex couples;
Whereas, since June 2019, Ecuador, Northern Ireland, and Costa Rica have 
        extended marriage rights to same-sex couples, the most recent country-
        wide extensions of those rights in the world;
Whereas the LGBTQ community holds Pride festivals and marches in some of the 
        most dangerous places in the world, despite threats of violence and 
        arrest;
Whereas, in 2009, President Barack Obama signed the Matthew Shepard and James 
        Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act (division E of Public Law 111-84; 
        123 Stat. 2835) into law to protect all individuals in the United States 
        from crimes motivated by their actual or perceived sexual orientation or 
        gender identity;
Whereas LGBTQ individuals in the United States have fought for equal treatment, 
        dignity, and respect;
Whereas LGBTQ individuals in the United States have achieved significant 
        milestones, ensuring that future generations of LGBTQ individuals in the 
        United States will enjoy a more equal and just society;
Whereas, despite being marginalized throughout the history of the United States, 
        LGBTQ individuals in the United States continue to celebrate their 
        identities, love, and contributions to the United States in various 
        expressions of Pride;
Whereas, in June 2020, in Bostock v. Clayton County, 140 S. Ct. 1731 (2020), the 
        Supreme Court of the United States affirmed that existing civil rights 
        laws prohibit employment discrimination on the basis of sexual 
        orientation and gender identity, a landmark victory for the LGBTQ 
        community;
Whereas, in December 2022, Congress enacted the Respect for Marriage Act (Public 
        Law 117-228; 136 Stat. 2305), which repealed the discriminatory legal 
        definition of marriage as limited to a relationship between a man and a 
        woman, and the discriminatory definition of a spouse as a person of the 
        opposite sex; and
Whereas LGBTQ individuals in the United States remain determined to pursue full 
        equality, respect, and inclusion for all individuals regardless of 
        sexual orientation or gender identity: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) supports the rights, freedoms, and equal treatment of 
        lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (referred to in 
        this resolution as ``LGBTQ'') individuals in the United States 
        and around the world;
            (2) acknowledges that LGBTQ rights are human rights that 
        are to be protected by the laws of the United States and 
        numerous international treaties and conventions;
            (3) supports efforts to ensure the equal treatment of all 
        individuals in the United States, regardless of sexual 
        orientation and gender identity;
            (4) supports efforts to ensure that the United States 
        remains a beacon of hope for the equal treatment of individuals 
        around the world, including LGBTQ individuals; and
            (5) encourages the celebration of June as ``LGBTQ Pride 
        Month'' in order to provide a lasting opportunity for all 
        individuals in the United States--
                    (A) to learn about the discrimination and 
                inequality that the LGBTQ community endured and 
                continues to endure; and
                    (B) to celebrate the contributions of the LGBTQ 
                community throughout the history of the United States.
                                 <all>