[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 112 (Thursday, June 29, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3854-S3855]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           LGBTQ PRIDE MONTH

  Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, today I wish to recognize LGBTQ Pride 
Month, a time to openly acknowledge and celebrate the contributions 
lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer or questioning 
individuals have made to our Country and the progress they have made 
over the years toward equality and civil rights.
  Pride, equality, freedom--these values are at the core of Pride Month 
for LGBTQ individuals and families in Maryland and across the United 
States. Every American deserves the same freedoms, the same 
opportunities and the same protections under the law to love whom they 
love.
  Respect, dignity, hope--LGBTQ Americans have helped drive the 
innovation and bold ideas that make America exceptional. They have 
stood sentry in our military, made scientific advances, created jobs 
from Main Street to Wall Street, made all of America laugh and cry, and 
so much more. LGBTQ individuals have enriched our communities and made 
us a stronger nation.
  Fear, apprehension, caution--those of us who defend civil rights 
every day understand that these are discouraging and uncertain times. 
It pains me to say the full admission of lesbian, gay, bisexual, 
transgender, and queer or questioning individuals into society has yet 
to be granted. The open expression of one's sexual orientation and 
gender identity has been--and oftentimes still is--wrought with 
discrimination and hardship.
  Despite the highs of Windsor and Obergefell, the LGBTQ community 
feels the pain of the senseless shooting at Pulse nightclub 1 year ago, 
blatant discrimination in States like North Carolina, and the 
incomprehensible abandonment of transgender students in schools, and 
the decades of injustice that reach back far beyond Stonewall. The 
results of last year's Presidential election brought an unwanted chill 
to the winds of momentum that had swept through the LGBTQ community. 
Insensitive language from the current administration adds an ominous 
cloud over the potential for future progress.
  To all of my lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer or 
questioning sisters and brothers, I say this: You are not alone. I 
support you. I will fight alongside you. We will not allow extremism to 
take away the inherent rights afforded to each and every one of us. 
Equality and liberty will prevail over any who would use hate and 
bigotry to frighten or intimidate others.
  I have joined with nearly half of the U.S. Senate as a sponsor of the 
Equality Act, S. 1006, historic, comprehensive Federal legislation that 
would ensure full Federal nondiscrimination equality for LGBTQ 
individuals by adding sexual orientation and gender identity to other 
protected classes, such as race or religion, in existing Federal laws. 
Despite major advances in equality for LGBTQ Americans, including 
nationwide marriage equality, the majority of States still do not have 
explicit LGBTQ nondiscrimination protection laws. The Equality Act 
would fill in the gap by explicitly banning discrimination in a host of 
areas, including employment, housing, public

[[Page S3855]]

accommodations, jury service, access to credit, and Federal funding.
  When the White House broke more than a decade of tradition by failing 
to recognize June as LGBTQ Pride Month, I joined my colleagues in 
picking up the mantle by introducing the first-ever Senate resolution 
recognizing June as LGBTQ Pride Month. The resolution notes major 
milestones in the fight for equal treatment of LGBTQ Americans and 
resolves to continue efforts to achieve full equality for LGBTQ 
individuals.
  As we build a new future of equality for all, despite the current 
headwinds, it is important that we learn from our Nation's past and use 
it as a source of strength and a teachable moment for those unaware of 
the history the LGBTQ community and what our Nation has been through. 
It is my firm hope that we are not seeing a redux of a McCarthy-like 
rise in political-driven discrimination.
  For this reason, I was taken back a bit at the confirmation hearings 
of Rex Tillerson and Nikki Haley, who are now serving as America's top 
diplomats, that neither of them would say the phrase ``LGBTQ.'' 
Following that peculiarity, it has been widely reported that the Trump 
administration has scrubbed LGBTQ content from various Federal 
Government websites--in some cases changing the agency's official 
nondiscrimination policy.
  Juxtaposed with the Obama administration that lit up the White House 
in rainbow lights during Pride month and backed up those concrete 
actions of support, this attempt to erase LGBTQ individuals from 
government was disturbing. I was alarmed because I knew that it had 
been tried before during the McCarthy era. It had a damaging effect on 
U.S. foreign policy back then, and it cannot be repeated.
  In what came to be known as the Lavender Scare, according to the 
State Department's Bureau of Diplomatic Security, employees were forced 
out on the ostensible grounds that their real or perceived sexual 
orientation rendered them vulnerable to blackmail, prone to getting 
caught in ``honey traps,'' and a general security risk. Many more 
individuals were prevented from joining the State Department due to a 
screening process that was put in place to prevent those who ``seemed 
like they might be gay or lesbian'' from being hired.
  David Johnson's ``The Lavender Scare: The Cold War Persecution of 
Gays and Lesbians in the Federal Government,'' University of Chicago 
Press, 2006, the definitive academic study of the issue, found that at 
least 1,000 people were dismissed from the U.S. Department of State 
alone for alleged homosexuality during the 1950s and well into the 
1960s before the ``scare'' ran its course.
  The Senate bears a special measure of responsibility for the Lavender 
Scare, as the State Department's actions were in part in response to 
congressional investigations into ``sex perversion of federal 
employees,'' reports on the employments of ``moral perverts by 
Government Agencies,'' and hearings or pressure placed on the 
Department through the appropriations process.
  Last year, in my role as ranking member of the Senate Committee on 
Foreign Relations, I urged then-Secretary of State John Kerry to shine 
a spotlight on this dark period in American diplomatic history by 
issuing the first-ever public apology for the Department of State's 
targeting due to perceived sexual orientation.
  This month, I introduced new legislation called the Lavender Offense 
Victim Exoneration Act of 2017, or the LOVE Act. Similar to what was 
enacted for the men and women of our military, who also were forced to 
hide their real self to the world, the LOVE Act would make amends and 
help right the wrongs that were leveled against our U.S. diplomats 
during this un-American and unacceptable episode in our history. The 
Lavender Scare is a painful but little-known chapter in American 
history, and even though times have thankfully changed in so many ways 
for the LGBT community, we must have the courage of our conviction to 
recognize wrong, apologize, and move forward with common sense and 
compassion whenever it is required.
  A few have asked me, Why now? Why do we need to relive past 
transgressions when there are ``more important things to do''? The 
answer is clear: The current administration may work to avoid using the 
words lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender, but Congress should take 
firm action to show LGBTQ Americans that their valuable contributions 
to our country--today or 60-plus years ago--are very real and they are 
recognized. We cannot and should not turn our backs on the individuals 
who sacrificed so much for the benefit of the American people. We 
cannot and will not turn back the clock on the hard-fought civil rights 
of the LGBTQ community.
  The theme of the 2017 Baltimore Pride celebration is ``Pride 
Unleashed,'' a commitment to ``work boldly and to live freely.'' I can 
think of no better mantra for LGBTQ Marylanders and allies as we fight 
side by side to protect civil rights and celebrate the strength of our 
diversity.
  I implore you and all of our colleagues to join the fight for LGBTQ 
equality. The administration also should take firm action to show LGBTQ 
Americans that their valuable contributions to our country are 
recognized and appreciated. It is the responsibility of each and every 
citizen to root out systemic intolerance. Inclusion and diversity are 
some of our Nation's greatest strengths; yet these values are now in 
peril. We cannot and will not turn back the clock on hard-fought civil 
rights for the LGBTQ community.

                          ____________________