[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 128, 113th Congress, 2nd Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

 
PROCLAMATION 9136--MAY 30, 2014

Proclamation 9136 of May 30, 2014

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month, 2014

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

As progress spreads from State to State, as justice is delivered in the
courtroom, and as more of our fellow Americans are treated with dignity
and respect--our Nation becomes not only more accepting, but more equal
as well. During Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Pride
Month, we celebrate victories that have affirmed freedom and fairness,
and we recommit ourselves to completing the work that remains.
Last year, supporters of equality celebrated the Supreme Court's
decision to strike down a key provision of the Defense of Marriage Act,
a ruling which, at long last, gave loving, committed families the
respect and legal protections they deserve. In keeping with this
decision, my Administration is extending family and spousal benefits--
from immigration benefits to military family benefits--to legally
married same-sex couples.
My Administration proudly stands alongside all those who fight for LGBT
rights. Here at home, we have strengthened laws against violence toward
LGBT Americans, taken action to prevent bullying and harassment, and
prohibited discrimination in housing and hospitals. Despite this
progress, LGBT workers in too many States can be fired just because of
their sexual orientation or gender identity; I continue to call on the
Congress to correct this injustice by passing the Employment Non-
Discrimination Act. And in the years ahead, we will remain dedicated to
addressing health disparities within the LGBT community by implementing
the Affordable Care Act and the National HIV/AIDS Strategy--which
focuses on improving care while decreasing HIV transmission rates among
communities most at risk.
Our commitment to advancing equality for the LGBT community extends far
beyond our borders. In many places around the globe, LGBT people face
persecution, arrest, or even state-sponsored execution. This is
unacceptable. The United States calls on every nation to join us in
defending the universal human rights of our LGBT brothers and sisters.
This month, as we mark 45 years since the patrons of the Stonewall Inn
defied an unjust policy and awakened a nascent movement, let us honor
every brave leader who stood up, sat in, and came out, as well as the
allies who supported them along the way. Following their example, let
each of us speak for tolerance, justice, and dignity--because if hearts
and minds continue to change over time, laws will too.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of
America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and
the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim June 2014 as Lesbian,
Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month. I call upon the people of
the United States to eliminate prejudice everywhere it exists, and to
celebrate the great diversity of the American people.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this thirtieth day of
May, in the year of our Lord two thousand fourteen, and of the

[[Page 4175]]

Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-
eighth.
BARACK OBAMA