A resolution recognizing June 2026, as "LGBTQ Pride Month".

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 789 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 789

            Recognizing June 2026, as ``LGBTQ Pride Month''.

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             June 24, 2026

 Ms. Smith (for herself, Ms. Alsobrooks, Ms. Baldwin, Mr. Bennet, Mr.
 Blumenthal, Ms. Blunt Rochester, Mr. Booker, Ms. Cantwell, Mr. Coons,
   Ms. Cortez Masto, Ms. Duckworth, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Fetterman, Mrs.
Gillibrand, Ms. Hassan, Mr. Heinrich, Mr. Hickenlooper, Ms. Hirono, Mr.
  Kaine, Mr. Kelly, Mr. Kim, Mr. King, Ms. Klobuchar, Mr. Lujan, Mr.
Markey, Mr. Merkley, Mr. Murphy, Mrs. Murray, Mr. Ossoff, Mr. Padilla,
 Mr. Peters, Mr. Reed, Ms. Rosen, Mr. Sanders, Mr. Schatz, Mr. Schiff,
Mrs. Shaheen, Ms. Slotkin, Mr. Van Hollen, Mr. Warner, Mr. Warnock, Ms.
    Warren, Mr. Welch, Mr. Whitehouse, and Mr. Wyden) submitted the
   following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the
                               Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

            Recognizing June 2026, as ``LGBTQ Pride Month''.

Whereas the story of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer
        (referred to in this preamble as ``LGBTQ'') community in the United
        States is one of courage rising from marginalization, of joy forged in
        the crucible of injustice, and of progress built by generations who
        refused to be silent, invisible, or erased;
Whereas LGBTQ individuals live and thrive in every corner of the United States--
        from Alabama to Alaska, from barrios to boardrooms--bringing with them a
        diversity of race, religion, ability, origin, political belief, and
        lived experience that enriches the soul of the United States;
Whereas LGBTQ individuals have made indelible contributions to the ongoing
        struggle for civil rights and across every sector of society, including
        education, science, law, public service, the arts, technology, business,
        helping to shape a more equitable and vibrant United States;
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'', that was
        rooted in the allegation that LGBTQ individuals posed a threat to
        national security, prevented LGBTQ individuals from entering public
        service and resulted in the dismissal and intimidation of Federal public
        servants, including Foreign Service members;
Whereas an estimated number of more than 100,000 brave members of the Armed
        Forces were discharged from service between the beginning of World War
        II and 2011 because of their sexual orientation, including the discharge
        of more than 13,000 members under the ``Don't Ask, Don't Tell'' policy
        that was in place between 1994 and 2011;
Whereas transgender people had been able to serve openly in the military since
        2016, but were arbitrarily banned from service in 2025;
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, an 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 the HIV epidemic, worsened by government inaction and social stigma,
        decimated LGBTQ communities--especially among Black and Brown gay men
        and transgender women--and yet, the community responded not with despair
        but with determination, launching a global movement for health justice;
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 17 States have no explicit ban on discrimination based on sexual
        orientation and gender identity in the workplace;
Whereas 19 States have no explicit ban on discrimination based on sexual
        orientation or gender identity in housing;
Whereas 22 States have no explicit ban on discrimination based on sexual
        orientation or gender identity in public accommodations;
Whereas 30 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) suicidality;

    (2) homelessness;

    (3) becoming victims of bullying, violence, or human trafficking; and

    (4) developing mental health conditions, including anxiety and
depression;

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, at both the State and Federal levels, the LGBTQ community, particularly
        the transgender community, has been repeatedly targeted by politically
        motivated legislation and executive actions aimed at restricting their
        rights, limiting access to essential services, and erasing the
        visibility and recognition of LGBTQ individuals;
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 due to their real or perceived sexual orientation or gender
        identity;
Whereas, despite recent wins to strike down longstanding criminalization
        statutes, more than 60 countries criminalize consensual same-sex conduct
        and more than 10 jurisdictions authorize the use of the death penalty as
        punishment for this conduct;
Whereas many other countries criminalize gender identity using so-called
        ``cross-dressing,'' ``impersonation,'' ``disguise,'' or other vague
        ``public morality'' laws;
Whereas, in recent years, several countries have passed legislation or
        instituted policies that increase criminal penalties or impose other
        restrictions on the human rights and fundamental freedoms of LGBTQ
        persons, including in Burkina Faso, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Niger, Russia,
        Senegal, and Uganda;
Whereas hundreds of individuals around the world are 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 Cameroon, Chechnya, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Tanzania,
        Tunisia, and Uzbekistan;
Whereas the global movement for marriage equality continues to gain momentum,
        with same-sex couples being provided the freedom to marry in thirty-nine
        countries around the globe, most recently in Thailand, Liechtenstein,
        and Greece;
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;
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'' 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.
                                 <all>