•HRES 779 IH 
Whereas society may never know the true number of 
LGBTQI+ Americans; 
Whereas diverse sexualities and gender expressions were rec-
ognized in Indigenous cultures, prior to the creation of 
the American colonies; 
Whereas LGBTQI+ 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 
LGBTQI+ identity erased or unacknowledged, includ-
ing— 
(1) Lieutenant Frederick Gotthold Enslin, a member 
of the Continental Army under George Washington; 
(2) Charley Parkhurst, legendary stagecoach driver; 
(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 LGBTQI+ 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.; 
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•HRES 779 IH 
(3) Sally Ride, astronaut and first American woman 
in space; 
(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 LGBTQI+ elected 
State official; 
(9) Cleve Jones, activist, author, and founder of the 
NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt; 
(10) Gilbert Baker, creator of the rainbow 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 
LGBTQI+ people to American history; 
Whereas LGBTQI+ 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 LGBTQI+ Ameri-
cans; 
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•HRES 779 IH 
Whereas organized LGBTQI+ activist groups have advanced 
civil rights, including— 
(1) the Society for Human Rights; 
(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 LGBTQI+ 
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) Romer v. Evans & Windsor (1996), which pre-
vented State constitutions from denying the LGBTQI+ 
community basic legal protections; 
(3) Lawrence v. Texas (2003), which eliminated sod-
omy laws; 
(4) Obergefell v. Hodges (2015), which guarantees 
same-sex couples the right to marriage; and 
(5) Bostock v. Clayton County (2020), which clari-
fied title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 protections 
for members of the LGBTQI+ community; 
Whereas LGBTQI+ 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; 
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•HRES 779 IH 
(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 LGBTQI+ community, such 
as— 
(1) the STAR House, which provided housing to 
homeless LGBTQI+ youth in the 1970s to 1980s; 
(2) the first Pride Parade Route, which started at 
Washington Place in New York City in 1970; 
(3) the Henry Gerber House, which was the meeting 
spot for the Society for Human Rights; and 
(4) Castro Camera, Harvey Milk’s photography 
store, which also served as his campaign headquarters; 
Whereas the places mentioned are historic and worthy of pre-
serving for the benefit of all; 
Whereas preserving and maintaining historic sites is crucial 
in telling the stories of the past and allowing citizens of 
the United States to understand and embrace their herit-
age; 
Whereas preserving LGBTQI+ historic sites contributes to 
the cultural well-being of the United States as they are 
physical reminders of America’s commitment to toler-
ance, acceptance, and equality; 
Whereas LGBTQI+ Americans have contributed to every as-
pect of United States society, including the fine arts, 
education, business, literature, journalism, sports, fash-
ion, politics, government, the military, music, science, 
medicine, engineering, technology, and other fields in the 
United States; 
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•HRES 779 IH 
Whereas only 10 LGBTQI+ historic places are registered 
with the National Park Service; 
Whereas LGBTQI+ people share the hopes and aspirations 
of the people of the United States for peace and pros-
perity throughout the world; and 
Whereas October is recognized as LGBTQI+ History Month: 
Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
(1) recognizes the contributions of LGBTQI+ 
people as a significant part of the history, progress, 
and heritage of the United States; 
(2) believes that LGBTQI+ history should be 
preserved by the National Park Service; 
(3) encourages the National Park Service to 
honor the contributions of LGBTQI+ Americans 
through direct action, including but not limited to— 
(A) increasing the number of LGBTQI+ 
sites listed in the National Register of Historic 
Places; 
(B) awarding preservation grants from the 
Historic Preservation Fund to LGBTQI+ his-
torical sites; and 
(C) conducting and sponsoring research in 
preservation of historic LGBTQI+ sites; and 
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