IV 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 329 

Encouraging the celebration of the month of June as LGBTQ Pride Month. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 18, 2015 

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas (for himself, Ms. SINEMA, Mr. CICILLINE, Mr. 

POLIS, Mr. SEAN PATRICK MALONEY of New York, Mr. POCAN, Mr. 

TAKANO, and Ms. JACKSON LEE) submitted the following resolution; 

which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 

RESOLUTION 

Encouraging the celebration of the month of June as 

LGBTQ Pride Month. 

Whereas the Honorable Barney Frank, Member of Congress 

from 1981 to 2013, is recognized as an honorary cosponsor of this resolution; 

Whereas Members of this Congress support the rights, freedoms, and equality of those who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ); 

Whereas those who took a stand for human rights and dignity at the Stonewall Inn in New York City on June 28, 

1969, are among the pioneers within this movement; 

Whereas the LGBTQ Stonewall protestors were subject to 

police harassment and invidious discrimination based on 

sexual orientation and gender identity; 


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Whereas this decisive moment in history was followed by the 

creation of gay rights organizations in every major city 

in the United States within two years of the Stonewall 

uprising; 

Whereas the Stonewall uprising has been followed by many 

positive progressive historic moments; 

Whereas in December of 1973, the board of the American 

Psychiatric Association voted to remove homosexuality 

from its list of mental illnesses; 

Whereas in 1974, Elaine Noble became the first openly 

LGBTQ candidate elected to a State legislature in the 

United States when she won a seat in the Massachusetts 

House of Representatives; 

Whereas in 1975, the Civil Service Commission eliminated 

the ban on the employment of homosexuals in most Federal jobs; 

Whereas, on January 8, 1978, Harvey Milk made national 

news when he was sworn in as an openly gay member of 

the San Francisco Board of Supervisors; 

Whereas in October of 1979, 75,000 people participated in 

the National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay 

Rights to demand equal civil rights; 

Whereas in 1980, Democrats took a stance in support of gay 

rights at the Democratic National Convention; 

Whereas in October of 1987, thousands of activists took part 

in the National March on Washington to demand that 

President Reagan address the AIDS crisis; 

Whereas in 1987, Congressman Barney Frank of Massachusetts became the first Representative to voluntarily come 

out as an openly gay Member of Congress; 


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•HRES 329 IH 

Whereas in May of 1996, in Romer v. Evans, the United 

States Supreme Court decided that a Colorado constitutional amendment preventing the enactment of protections for gays and lesbians in that State was unconstitutional; 

Whereas at the turn of the century in 2000, Vermont became 

the first State in the country to legally recognize civil 

unions between gay and lesbian couples; 

Whereas, on June 26, 2003, the Supreme Court of the 

United States ruled in Lawrence v. Texas, that under the 

14th Amendment, States could not criminalize the private, intimate relationships of same-sex couples; 

Whereas, on October 28, 2009, the Matthew Shepard and 

James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act was passed 

by Congress and signed into law by President Obama. 

The bill expanded existing Federal hate crimes laws to 

include crimes motivated by a victim’s actual or perceived 

gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability; 

Whereas, on January 4, 2010, Mayor Annise D. Parker was 

sworn in as Houston’s first openly gay Mayor; 

Whereas in December of 2010, Congress approved and President Obama signed the repeal of the ‘‘Don’t Ask, Don’t 

Tell’’ law, allowing gays, lesbians, and bisexuals to serve 

openly in the United States Armed Forces; 

Whereas the year 2012 marked the first year that all 50 

States in the United States had at least one openly 

LGBTQ elected official; 

Whereas, on January 3, 2013, Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin 

was sworn in as the first openly gay United States Senator; 


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Whereas, on June 26, 2013, the United States Supreme 

Court ruled, in United States v. Windsor, that section 

three of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) was unconstitutional and that the Federal Government cannot 

discriminate against married lesbian and gay couples for 

the purposes of determining Federal benefits and protections; 

Whereas the inclusion of our transgender brothers and sisters 

into United States society continues to expand every day, 

with an understanding that we will remain steadfast in 

pursuing the goal of complete equality, respect, and tolerance for all, regardless of the gender a person is assigned 

at birth; and 

Whereas, as of June 2015, 37 States and the District of Columbia grant same-sex marriage: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) recognizes that all Americans should be 

3 treated fairly and equally regardless of sexual ori4 entation or gender identity; 

5 (2) acknowledges the struggle of the Stonewall 

6 protestors and countless other lesbian, gay, bisexual, 

7 transgender, and queer people for equality; 

8 (3) encourages the celebration of LGBTQ Pride 

9 Month to provide a continuing opportunity for all 

10 people in the United States to learn about the dis11 crimination and inequality that has faced, and con12 tinues to face, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, 

13 and queer people; and 


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•HRES 329 IH 

1 (4) agrees that the United States must continue 

2 to strive to ensure that the promise of equality is re3 alized for all Americans. 

Æ 


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