Title: Recognizing Black History Month as an important time to celebrate the remarkable and unique contributions of all LGBTQ+ Black Americans in United States history.
Policy area: Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues

Summary:
This resolution recognizes Black History Month as an important time to celebrate the unique contributions of all LGBTQ+ Black Americans in U.S. history.

[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 170 Introduced in House (IH)]

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117th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 170

 Recognizing Black History Month as an important time to celebrate the 
 remarkable and unique contributions of all LGBTQ+ Black Americans in 
                         United States history.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 26, 2021

 Ms. Lee of California (for herself, Ms. Scanlon, Mrs. Watson Coleman, 
  Mr. Horsford, Mr. Hastings, Mr. Nadler, Mr. Grijalva, Ms. Moore of 
 Wisconsin, Mr. Pocan, Mr. Payne, Ms. Bass, Mr. Cicilline, Ms. Norton, 
   Ms. Velazquez, Mr. Takano, Ms. Schakowsky, Mr. Danny K. Davis of 
Illinois, Mr. Sean Patrick Maloney of New York, Mr. Johnson of Georgia, 
  Ms. Meng, Mr. Khanna, Mr. Green of Texas, Ms. Tlaib, Mr. Case, Mr. 
 Blumenauer, Mr. Meeks, Ms. Adams, Mr. Torres of New York, Mr. Jones, 
 and Ms. Castor of Florida) submitted the following resolution; which 
         was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Reform

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Recognizing Black History Month as an important time to celebrate the 
 remarkable and unique contributions of all LGBTQ+ Black Americans in 
                         United States history.

Whereas Black History Month is a historic tradition beginning in 1926 to honor 
        and celebrate the aspirations and accomplishments of Black individuals, 
        both past and contemporary;
Whereas our Nation has been enriched by the countless contributions of 
        generations of LGBTQ+ Black individuals, most of whom have never been 
        seen or recognized;
Whereas untold LGBTQ+ Black individuals have experienced the compounding impacts 
        of racism and anti-LGBTQ+ bias and hatred, but nonetheless continued to 
        fight for justice and equity;
Whereas it is critically important to reflect upon and celebrate the unique 
        contributions that Black LGBTQ+ leaders have made throughout the history 
        of our Nation;
Whereas Alvin Ailey was a famed dancer and choreographer, who moved audiences 
        with his thrillingly theatrical dance moves for decades;
Whereas James Baldwin was a powerful novelist, playwright, and social critic, 
        who educated and prodded our Nation's conscience with his words;
Whereas Glenn Burke, a Major League Baseball player for the Los Angeles Dodgers 
        and Oakland Athletics, was the league's first openly gay player and 
        delighted the world by inventing the high-five;
Whereas Patrisse Cullors and Alicia Garza, two of the three founders of Black 
        Lives Matter, inspired a civil rights movement grounded in justice and 
        equality;
Whereas Andrea Jenkins is the first openly transgender woman to be elected to 
        public office in the State of Minnesota and the first Black transgender 
        woman elected to public office in the Nation;
Whereas Martin Jenkins made history in 2020 as the first openly gay California 
        Supreme Court Justice and just the third Black man to serve on the 
        State's highest court;
Whereas Marsha P. Johnson was a transgender rights activist and drag performer 
        who fought anti-LGBTQ+ police raids and helped lead the Stonewall 
        Uprising in June 1969;
Whereas Barbara Jordan was a lawyer, civil rights leader, and the first African 
        American elected to the House of Representatives from Texas;
Whereas Storme DeLarverie, born in 1920, was a drag king performer of the Jewel 
        Box Revue and a community advocate;
Whereas Lori Lightfoot made history in 2019, when she was elected the first 
        openly LGBTQ+ person and first Black woman to serve as mayor of Chicago, 
        the Nation's third largest city;
Whereas Audre Lorde, an acclaimed poet, author, and essayist, gave countless 
        readers the gift of her insights on race, class, and gender;
Whereas Miss Major Griffin-Gracy, a transgender activist and Stonewall Uprising 
        veteran, has spoken out for justice for marginalized communities for 
        decades;
Whereas Pauli Murray, LGBTQ+ feminist, author, lawyer, and minister was the 
        first Black woman to be ordained an Episcopal priest;
Whereas Ron Oden made history in Palm Springs, California, as the first Black 
        openly gay mayor of a United States city;
Whereas Bayard Rustin was a civil rights activist who stood shoulder-to-shoulder 
        with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and the organizer of the 1963 March on 
        Washington;
Whereas Jewel Thais-Williams founded Jewel's Catch One in 1973 as an inclusive, 
        welcoming space for Black LGBTQ+ Angelenos to gather and celebrate 
        alongside legendary performers such as Whitney Houston, Janet Jackson, 
        Donna Summer, and Whoopi Goldberg;
Whereas Black advocates have deep and valuable experience promoting equality and 
        are now leading major LGBTQ+ advocacy groups, including Alphonso David 
        at the Human Rights Campaign, Imani Rupert-Gordon at National Center for 
        Lesbian Rights, Kierra Johnson at National LGBTQ Task Force, David Johns 
        at National Black Justice Coalition, Dominique Morgan at Black and Pink, 
        Gabriel Foster at Trans Justice Funding Project, and Carter Brown at 
        Black TransMen Inc.; and
Whereas Phill Wilson is the visionary founder of the Black AIDS Institute and a 
        tireless advocate for people living with HIV: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives recognizes Black 
History Month as an important time to celebrate the remarkable and 
unique contributions of all LGBTQ+ Black Americans in United States 
history--those whose names we easily recognize and those whose names we 
will never know.
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