[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 749 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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118th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. RES. 749
Recognizing June 2024, as ``LGBTQ Pride Month''.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
June 20, 2024
Mr. Brown (for himself, Ms. Smith, Ms. Cortez Masto, Mr. Whitehouse,
Mrs. Shaheen, Mr. Padilla, Mr. Coons, Ms. Butler, Mr. Fetterman, Mr.
Merkley, Mr. Schatz, Mr. Sanders, Mr. Kaine, Mr. King, Mr. Carper, Ms.
Klobuchar, Mr. Blumenthal, Mr. Warnock, Mr. Murphy, Mrs. Gillibrand,
Ms. Baldwin, Mr. Cardin, Ms. Duckworth, Mr. Lujan, Mr. Welch, Mr.
Durbin, Mr. Ossoff, Mrs. Murray, Mr. Casey, Ms. Hassan, Mr. Booker, Ms.
Warren, Mr. Bennet, Ms. Hirono, Ms. Sinema, Mr. Peters, Mr. Van Hollen,
Mr. Schumer, Ms. Rosen, Mr. Markey, Ms. Cantwell, Mr. Hickenlooper, Mr.
Wyden, Mr. Reed, Mr. Kelly, Ms. Stabenow, Mr. Heinrich, Mr. Tester, Mr.
Manchin, and Mr. Warner) submitted the following resolution; which was
referred to the Committee on the Judiciary
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Recognizing June 2024, as ``LGBTQ Pride Month''.
Whereas individuals who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer
(referred to in this preamble as ``LGBTQ'') include individuals--
(1) from all States, territories, and the District of Columbia; and
(2) from all faiths, races, national origins, socioeconomic statuses,
disability statuses, education levels, and political beliefs;
Whereas LGBTQ individuals in the United States have made, and continue to make,
vital contributions to the United States and to the world in every
aspect, including in the fields of education, law, health, business,
science, research, economic development, architecture, fashion, sports,
government, music, film, politics, technology, literature, and civil
rights;
Whereas the persistent failure of Federal and State officials to collect full
and accurate data on sexual orientation and gender identity causes
tremendous harm to LGBTQ individuals in the United States, who remain
largely invisible to the government entities entrusted with ensuring
their health, safety, and well-being;
Whereas LGBTQ individuals in the United States serve, and have served, in the
United States Army, Coast Guard, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Space
Force honorably and with distinction and bravery;
Whereas a decades-long Federal policy, known as the ``Lavender Scare'',
threatened and intimidated Federal public servants from employment due
to their sexual orientation by alleging LGBTQ individuals posed a threat
to national security, preventing many more from entering the workforce;
Whereas an estimated number of more than 100,000 brave service members were
discharged from the Armed Forces between the beginning of World War II
and 2011 because of their sexual orientation, including the discharge of
more than 13,000 service members under the ``Don't Ask, Don't Tell''
policy that was in place between 1994 and 2011;
Whereas transgender people were banned from military service from at least 1960,
and were not permitted to serve without restriction until 2021;
Whereas LGBTQ individuals in the United States serve, and have served, in
positions in the Federal Government and State and local governments,
including as members of Congress, Cabinet Secretaries, Governors,
mayors, and city council members;
Whereas the demonstrators who protested on June 28, 1969, following a law
enforcement raid of the Stonewall Inn, a LGBTQ club in New York City,
are pioneers of the LGBTQ movement for equality;
Whereas, throughout much of the history of the United States, same-sex
relationships were criminalized in many States, and many LGBTQ
individuals in the United States were forced to hide their LGBTQ
identities while living in secrecy and fear;
Whereas, on June 26, 2015, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled in
Obergefell v. Hodges, 576 U.S. 644 (2015), that same-sex couples have a
constitutional right to marry and acknowledged that ``[n]o union is more
profound than marriage, for it embodies the highest ideals of love,
fidelity, devotion, sacrifice, and family'';
Whereas Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (referred to in this preamble as
``AIDS'') has disproportionately impacted LGBTQ individuals in the
United States, due in part to a lack of funding and research devoted to
finding effective treatments for AIDS and the Human Immunodeficiency
Virus (referred to in this preamble as ``HIV'') during the early stages
of the HIV and AIDS epidemic;
Whereas gay and bisexual men and transgender women of color have a higher risk
of contracting HIV;
Whereas people living with HIV continue to face discrimination in the United
States and, in certain States, may be subject to greater criminal
punishment than individuals without HIV;
Whereas the LGBTQ community maintains its unwavering commitment to ending the
HIV and AIDS epidemic;
Whereas LGBTQ individuals in the United States face disparities in employment,
healthcare, education, housing, and many other areas central to the
pursuit of happiness in the United States;
Whereas 16 States have no explicit ban on discrimination based on sexual
orientation and gender identity in the workplace;
Whereas 18 States have no explicit ban on discrimination based on sexual
orientation or gender identity in housing;
Whereas 21 States have no explicit ban on discrimination based on sexual
orientation or gender identity in public accommodations;
Whereas 31 States have no explicit ban on discrimination against LGBTQ
individuals in credit and lending services;
Whereas, as a result of discrimination, LGBTQ youth are at increased risk of--
(1) suicide;
(2) homelessness;
(3) becoming victims of bullying, violence, or human trafficking; and
(4) developing mental health conditions, including anxiety and
depression;
Whereas only 28 States and the District of Columbia have explicit policies in
place to protect foster youth from discrimination based on both sexual
orientation and gender identity;
Whereas LGBTQ youth of color are overrepresented in child welfare and juvenile
justice systems;
Whereas the LGBTQ community has faced discrimination, inequality, and violence
throughout the history of the United States;
Whereas State legislatures across the country have introduced and passed harmful
legislation specifically targeting LGBTQ youth, particularly transgender
youth, and their ability to obtain access to healthcare, participate in
athletic activities, and learn about race, gender, and sexuality in
schools;
Whereas LGBTQ individuals in the United States, in particular transgender
individuals, face a disproportionately high risk of becoming victims of
violent hate crimes;
Whereas members of the LGBTQ community have been targeted in acts of mass
violence, including--
(1) the Club Q nightclub shooting in Colorado Springs, Colorado, on
November 19, 2022, where 5 people were killed and 25 people were wounded;
(2) the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando, Florida, on June 12, 2016,
where 49 people were killed and 53 people were wounded; and
(3) the arson attack at the UpStairs Lounge in New Orleans, Louisiana,
on June 24, 1973, where 32 people died;
Whereas LGBTQ individuals face persecution, violence, and death in many parts of
the world, including State-sponsored violence like in Uganda, where
LGBTQ people live under threat of the death penalty;
Whereas, in the several years preceding 2019, hundreds of LGBTQ individuals
around the world were arrested and, in some cases, tortured or even
executed because of their actual or perceived sexual orientation or
gender identity in countries and territories such as Chechnya, Egypt,
Indonesia, and Tanzania;
Whereas, in May 2019, Taiwan became the first place in Asia to extend marriage
rights to same-sex couples;
Whereas, since June 2019, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Northern Ireland, Switzerland,
Chile, Slovenia, Andorra, Cuba, Greece, and Estonia have extended
marriage rights to same-sex couples, the most recent country-wide
extensions of those rights in the world;
Whereas the LGBTQ community holds Pride festivals and marches in some of the
most dangerous places in the world, despite threats of violence and
arrest;
Whereas, in 2009, President Barack Obama signed the Matthew Shepard and James
Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act (division E of Public Law 111-84;
123 Stat. 2835) into law to protect all individuals in the United States
from crimes motivated by their actual or perceived sexual orientation or
gender identity;
Whereas LGBTQ individuals in the United States have fought for equal treatment,
dignity, and respect;
Whereas LGBTQ individuals in the United States have achieved significant
milestones, ensuring that future generations of LGBTQ individuals in the
United States will enjoy a more equal and just society;
Whereas, despite being marginalized throughout the history of the United States,
LGBTQ individuals in the United States continue to celebrate their
identities, love, and contributions to the United States in various
expressions of Pride;
Whereas, in June 2020, in Bostock v. Clayton County, 140 S. Ct. 1731 (2020), the
Supreme Court of the United States affirmed that existing civil rights
laws prohibit employment discrimination on the basis of sexual
orientation and gender identity, a landmark victory for the LGBTQ
community;
Whereas, in December 2022, Congress enacted the Respect for Marriage Act (Public
Law 117-228; 136 Stat. 2305), which repealed the discriminatory legal
definition of marriage as limited to a relationship between a man and a
woman, and the discriminatory definition of a spouse as a person of the
opposite sex; and
Whereas LGBTQ individuals in the United States remain determined to pursue full
equality, respect, and inclusion for all individuals regardless of
sexual orientation or gender identity: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) supports the rights, freedoms, and equal treatment of
lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (referred to in
this resolution as ``LGBTQ'') individuals in the United States
and around the world;
(2) acknowledges that LGBTQ rights are human rights that
are to be protected by the laws of the United States and
numerous international treaties and conventions;
(3) supports efforts to ensure the equal treatment of all
individuals in the United States, regardless of sexual
orientation and gender identity;
(4) supports efforts to ensure that the United States
remains a beacon of hope for the equal treatment of individuals
around the world, including LGBTQ individuals; and
(5) encourages the celebration of June as ``LGBTQ Pride
Month'' in order to provide a lasting opportunity for all
individuals in the United States--
(A) to learn about the discrimination and
inequality that the LGBTQ community endured and
continues to endure; and
(B) to celebrate the contributions of the LGBTQ
community throughout the history of the United States.
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