[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 109 (Thursday, June 22, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2245-S2246]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 SENATE RESOLUTION 282--RECOGNIZING JUNE 2023 AS ``LGBTQ PRIDE MONTH''

  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:

                              S. Res. 282

       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

[[Page S2246]]

     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.

                          ____________________