[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 103 (Tuesday, June 13, 2023)]
[House]
[Page H2819]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              PRIDE MONTH

  (Mr. PAPPAS asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. PAPPAS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to mark Pride Month and to tell 
members of the LGBTQ community that they are seen, that they are 
supported, and that they deserve the same rights, responsibilities, and 
protections as every other American.
  That shouldn't be a controversial statement but we know that many 
LGBTQ Americans face discrimination and are targets of an intensifying 
effort to deny their right to simply live as their authentic selves.
  Pride is a time to celebrate our differences and the diversity that 
helps make our country great. It is a time to mark the progress that we 
have made, and it is a time to rededicate ourselves to the unfinished 
work to achieve freedom and equality for all.
  As co-chair of the LGBTQ Equality Caucus, I am continuing to work to 
pass legislation that will protect benefits for veterans, that will ban 
the use of so-called panic defenses in Federal court, and will protect 
Americans from discrimination by passing the Equality Act.
  No one chooses to be LGBTQ, but America can choose to continue to 
have an open mind and an open heart and a commitment to a future that 
includes everyone, regardless of who we are or whom we love.
  I wish everyone a happy Pride Month.

                          ____________________