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Commemorating the 55th Anniversary of Stonewall and Celebrating June 2024 Pride Month.
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WHEREAS, On June 28, 1969, the Stonewall Riots marked a turning point in American history when Black trans women and trans people of color in New York led the fight back against police who arrested LGBTQ people for their sexual orientation and gender expression; and
WHEREAS, this moment launched a resistance centered on the dignity and rights of genderqueer people of color in the face of state violence and disenfranchisement; and
WHEREAS, in 1972 members of the LGBT community gathered in Loring Park in Minneapolis to commemorate the 1969 Stonewall riots, representing the first Twin Cities march for Gay liberation; and
WHEREAS, 52 years later, this small gathering has grown into the Twin Cities Pride Festival as we know it today, in addition to multiple Pride festivals in Saint Paul and throughout the metro area; and
WHEREAS, in 1972 Saint Paul would pass a human rights ordinance ensuring protections for LGBT community members, which was repealed by a public referendum in 1978; and
WHEREAS, the Saint Paul City Council would once again successfully pass a human rights ordinance in 1990; and
WHEREAS, members of the LGBTQ+ community continue to face discrimination in significant ways including in health care, housing, and education; and
WHEREAS, the legacy of Stonewall will persist and we must continue to protect our most vulnerable voices and thread them into our collective narrative, from Stonewall to present, so that our young, BIPOC and transgender community members can hear their voice in our history; and
WHEREAS, in 2013, Minnesotans, legislators, and Governor Dayton passed same-sex marriage, allowing our neighbors, friends, and family the most fundamental human right to be written into state law - the ability to marry who you love; and
WHEREAS, on June 26th, 2015, the United States Supreme Court ruled in Obergefell v. Hodges, same-sex couples have the constitutional right to marry and that states are legally required to acknowledge and protect marriages regardless of where they were licensed; and
WHEREAS, in June 2020, the Supreme Court of the United States, in a landmark decision, Bostock v Clayton, voted to ensure the protection of LGBTQ+ people from workplace discrimination under Title VII of Civil Rights Act; and
WHEREAS, Saint Paul banned conversion therapy on June 17, 2020 and the State of Minnesota followed in 2023, recognizing that no child should endure its harmful effects;
WHEREAS, in 2023, a record 520 anti-LGBTQ+ bills have been introduced in state legislatures; and
WHEREAS, in 2023, the State of Minnesota took action to lead by example and passed model laws protecting the LGBTQ+ community in the legislative session, including expanding access to healthcare for trans Minnesotans, making Minnesota a trans refuge state, codifying access to abortion and reproductive freedoms and making record investments in LGBTQ+ communities in every area of life; and
WHEREAS, in 2024, the State of Minnesota passed two additional bills furthering public safety protection within the LGBTQ+ community: one limiting criminal defenses and authorization for the use of force relating to a victim’s sexual orientation or identity, and the second, establishing a Task Force to prevent gender-based violence against Latine women and girls; and
WHEREAS, the LGBTQ+ community in our city and country have achieved significant milestones, ensuring that future generations of LGBTQ+ people will enjoy a more equitable and just society, and continue to celebrate their identities, love, and contributions in various expressions of Pride; and now therefore
BE IT RESOLVED, the Saint Paul City Council recognizes the 55th Anniversary of Stonewall and June 2024 Pride Month, and will continue furthering the actions around LGBTQ+ issues to ensure that Saint Paul continues to be an inclusive community for people of all backgrounds and orientations.