[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 89 (Friday, June 28, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1193]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


CELEBRATING SAN FRANCISCO LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL AND TRANSGENDER PRIDE 
                  AND IN HONOR OF OFFICER JON D. COOK

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. NANCY PELOSI

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 27, 2002

  Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of lesbian, gay, 
bisexual and transgender pride in San Francisco and to pay tribute to 
the memory of Jon D. Cook, the first openly-gay San Francisco police 
officer to lose his life in the line of duty.
  This weekend marks the 32nd annual San Francisco Lesbian, Gay, 
Bisexual, Transgender Pride Celebration entitled, ``Be Yourself, Change 
the World!'' This is our time to celebrate San Francisco's proud 
history of advocacy for equal rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and 
transgender persons and to recognize the important contributions the 
LGBT Community makes to our City and to our nation.
  Officer Jon Cook's legacy is an important example of such 
contributions. On June 12, 2002, Officer Cook was killed when his 
police car collided with another police car as they both pursued a 
suspected violent felon. Before joining the force, he worked as a 
research scientist searching for a cure and treatments for HIV/AIDS. He 
also served honorably as a lieutenant in US Air Force intelligence with 
a top-level security clearance.
  Officer Cook touched the lives of many people in San Francisco. More 
than 2,000 attended his funeral mass, including friends and family 
members, over 600 fellow officers from throughout Northern California, 
and hundreds of residents and community leaders from the Castro and 
Mission districts that he served. His fellow policemen and women 
remember him as a dedicated officer who always wanted to be at the 
scene; residents remember with gratitude the way he looked out for 
them. ``Jon loved being a cop,'' recalled his domestic partner of three 
years, Jared Strawderman. ``He loved serving his community. He loved 
being in situations where he could help people. He wanted to go to 
where the trouble was and fix the problem.''
  To his parents Jon Sr. and Rosemary Cook; his siblings Bonnie, Brian, 
Wayne, Jamie and Gary; partner Jared Strawderman; and his many nieces 
and nephews; we share your loss, and we are grateful for the service 
Jon provided to the people of San Francisco.
  The contributions of Officer Cook and so many others in San Francisco 
bring into sharp focus the need for basic protections of lesbian, gay, 
bisexual, and transgender persons. As we mourn the loss of Jon Cook, we 
also reaffirm our commitment to the fight for equal rights for all and 
our belief in the beauty of our diversity.

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