06.10.21

Cantwell, Murray Join Senate Democrats in Resolution Recognizing June as LGBTQ Pride Month

WASHINGTON D.C. – On Tuesday, U.S. Senators Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Patty Murray (D-WA) joined all 50 Senate Democrats in introducing a resolution recognizing June as LGBTQ Pride Month. S. Res 261 highlights the contributions LGBTQ individuals have made to American society, notes several major milestones in the fight for equal treatment of LGBTQ Americans, and resolves to continue efforts to achieve full equality. The resolution also recognizes how the COVID-19 pandemic compounds the systemic inequality that LGBTQ people face in healthcare, employment, and housing systems in the United States.

“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,” the resolution states. “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.”

In 2021, Senators Cantwell and Murray cosponsored the reintroduction of the Equality Act, legislation to ensure civil rights laws prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. The Equality Act would unequivocally ban discrimination in a host of areas, including employment, housing, public accommodations, jury service, access to credit, federal funding assistance, and education.

Cantwell and Murray have been strong allies of the LGBTQ community. In June 2019, Senators Cantwell and Murray were original cosponsors of the first-ever bipartisan U.S. Senate resolution to honor the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising, an important moment in American history that sparked the modern LGBTQ movement for equal rights. The first annual Pride march, which eventually led to the celebration of Pride month, commemorated the one-year anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising.

Along with Senators Cantwell and Murray, the resolution was co-sponsored by all 50 Senate Democrats: Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Diane Feinstein (D-CA), Tina Smith (D-MN), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Ed Markey (D-MA), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ), Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Bob Casey (D- PA), Michael Bennett (D-CO), Tom Carper (D-DE), Angus King (I-ME), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Jon Tester (D-MT), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Chris Coons (D-DE), Mark Warner (D-VA), Richard Durbin (D-IL), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Gary Peters (D-MI), Joe Manchin (D-WV), Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Benjamin Cardin (D-MD), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Jack Reed (D-RI), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Jon Ossoff (D-GA), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), and Mark Kelly (D-AZ).

Full text of the resolution is available here.

This year’s pride resolution has been endorsed by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC).

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