IV 
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. RES. 704 
Recognizing the importance of the National Park Service in preserving the 
legacy of LGBTQ+ people and honoring their contributions to American 
history through the preservation of historic places and landmarks. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
OCTOBER 5, 2021 
Mr. SOTO submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 
Committee on Natural Resources 
RESOLUTION 
Recognizing the importance of the National Park Service 
in preserving the legacy of LGBTQ+ people and hon-
oring their contributions to American history through 
the preservation of historic places and landmarks. 
Whereas attitudes toward sexuality have changed throughout 
history and will continue to change; 
Whereas the term ‘‘LGBTQ+’’ is understood to mean les-
bian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning/queer, and 
other identities; 
Whereas LGBTQ+ people are found in every State of the 
Union; 
Whereas society may never know the true number of 
LGBTQ+ Americans; 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
23:18 Oct 05, 2021
Jkt 029200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6300
E:\BILLS\HR704.IH
HR704
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
•HRES 704 IH 
Whereas diverse sexualities and gender expressions existed in 
Indigenous cultures, prior to the creation of the Amer-
ican colonies; 
Whereas LGBTQ+ people in the United States have diverse 
racial, ethnic, cultural, and religious backgrounds; 
Whereas many influential Americans have contributed to the 
rich history of the United States, but have had their 
LGBTQ+ identity erased or unacknowledged, includ-
ing— 
(1) Lieutenant Gotthold Frederick Enslin, a member 
of the Continental Army under George Washington; 
(2) Charley Parkhurst, legendary stagecoach driver 
and important figure of transgender history; 
(3) Langston Hughes, poet and leader of the Har-
lem Renaissance; 
(4) Edna Thomas, an influential Black actress of 
the Harlem Renaissance; 
(5) James Baldwin, novelist and playwright; 
(6) Eleanor Roosevelt, First Lady of the United 
States and United Nations spokeswoman; 
(7) Christine Jorgensen, World War II veteran and 
actress; and 
(8) Pauli Murray, American civil rights activist, 
women’s rights activist, lawyer, Episcopal priest, and au-
thor; 
Whereas the many influential LGBTQ+ Americans in the 
history of the United States also include— 
(1) Frank Kameny, veteran and activist; 
(2) Bayard Rustin, civil rights leader and advisor to 
Martin Luther King, Jr.; 
(3) Sally Ride, astronaut and first American woman 
in space; 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
23:18 Oct 05, 2021
Jkt 029200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6300
E:\BILLS\HR704.IH
HR704
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
•HRES 704 IH 
(4) Alfred Kinsey, biologist; 
(5) Harvey Milk, politician and first openly gay 
elected official in California; 
(6) Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, self-pro-
claimed drag performers and community activists; 
(7) Larry Kramer, author and cofounder of ACT 
UP; 
(8) Elaine Noble, the first openly LGBTQ+ elected 
State official; 
(9) Cleeve Jones, activist, author, and founder of the 
NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt; 
(10) Gilbert Baker, creator of the pride flag; 
(11) We’wha, cultural ambassador for Native Ameri-
cans and most famous lhamana on record; 
(12) Alan Hart, a revolutionary tuberculosis re-
searcher; and 
(13) Audre Lorde, writer, feminist, womanist, librar-
ian, and civil rights activist; 
Whereas this resolution is by no means a comprehensive doc-
umentation of all the achievements and contributions of 
LGBTQ+ people to American history; 
Whereas LGBTQ+ people in the United States, and all over 
the world, face obstacles in the struggle for equality; 
Whereas Executive Order 10450, the 1953 Immigration Act, 
the ‘‘Employment of Homosexuals and Other Sex Per-
verts in Government’’ congressional report, sodomy laws, 
and the Defense of Marriage Act have contributed to the 
forced erasure and discrimination of LGBTQ+ Ameri-
cans; 
Whereas organized LGBTQ+ activist groups have advanced 
civil rights, including— 
(1) the Society for Human Rights; 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
23:18 Oct 05, 2021
Jkt 029200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6300
E:\BILLS\HR704.IH
HR704
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
•HRES 704 IH 
(2) the Mattachine Society; 
(3) the Daughters of Bilitis; 
(4) the Gay Liberation Front; 
(5) the Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries; 
(6) the Gay American Indians; and 
(7) the Gay Asian Pacific Alliance; 
Whereas the determination and resilience of the LGBTQ+ 
community in the fight for equality has advanced civil 
rights protections for all Americans, such as— 
(1) One Inc. v. Olesen (1958), which expanded free 
speech protections; 
(2) Lawrence v. Texas (2003), which eliminated sod-
omy laws; 
(3) Obergefell v. Hodges (2015), which guarantees 
same-sex couples the right to marriage; and 
(4) Bostock v. Clayton County (2020), which ex-
panded title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964; 
Whereas LGBTQ+ Americans have been involved in revolu-
tionary moments in time, including— 
(1) the Stonewall Riots; 
(2) the Annual Reminder Day pickets; 
(3) the first Pride Parade; 
(4) the Biltmore Invasion; 
(5) the 1978 Gay Freedom Day Parade in San 
Francisco, where the first pride flag was flown; 
(6) the National March on Washington for Gay and 
Lesbian Rights; and 
(7) the ACT UP Protest; 
Whereas various places were essential to the existence and 
continued livelihood of the LGBTQ+ community, such 
as— 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
23:18 Oct 05, 2021
Jkt 029200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6300
E:\BILLS\HR704.IH
HR704
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS