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Celebrating the 52nd Anniversary of Stonewall and June 2021 Pride Month.
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WHEREAS, June 28, 2021 marks the 52nd Anniversary of the Stonewall Riots; and
WHEREAS, the Stonewall Riots marked a turning point in LGBTQ 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, members of the LGBTQ community continue to face discrimination in significant ways including in health care, housing, education; and
WHEREAS, in 2021 over 100 new legislative bills, in thirty-three different states, have been introduced in an effort to restrict the rights of transgender youth from both receiving gender affirming medical care, as well as banning them from participating in sports with the gender to which they identify with; and
WHEREAS, the legacy of Stonewall will persist because it must; and
WHEREAS, we must continue to protect our most vulnerable voices and thread them into our collective narrative, from Stonewall to present, so that our young Black trans women can hear their voice in our history; and
WHEREAS, despite continued progress, the transgender community continues to fight for safety, justice, and acceptance; and
WHEREAS, LGBTQ people in our city and country have achieved significant milestones, ensuring that future generations of LGBTQ people will enjoy a more equitable and just society;
WHEREAS, despite being marginalized throughout the history of the United States, the LGBTQ community continues to celebrate their identities, love, and contributions in various expressions of Pride;
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 every 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;
WHEREAS, Saint Paul banned conversion therapy on June 17, 2020, and recognizes that no child should endure its harmful effects;
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, the Saint Paul City Council recognizes the 52nd Anniversary of the Stonewall Riots and will continue the conversation around LGBTQ issues, and work to ensure their justice provides their community wholeness and acceptance; and be it further
RESOLVED, the City of Saint Paul celebrates June 2021 Pride month, in humble solidarity.