Van Hollen, Brown, Senate Dems Introduce Resolution Recognizing June as LGBTQ Pride Month

Today, U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), and all Senate Democrats introduced a Senate resolution recognizing June as LGBTQ Pride Month. The resolution 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 for LGBTQ individuals. The resolution also recognizes how the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic compounds the systemic inequality that LGBTQ people face in the healthcare, employment, and housing systems in the United States, leading to a disparate impact on LGBTQ people.

In 2019, Senate Democrats re-introduced 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. 

Along with Sens. Van Hollen and Brown, the resolution was co-sponsored by all 47 Senate Democrats, including Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Tina Smith (D-MN), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Ed Markey (D-MA), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Doug Jones (D-AL), 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), Kamala Harris (D-CA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Jon Tester (D-MT), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Patty Murray (D-WA), 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 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), Tom Udall (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) and Martin Heinrich (D-NM).

Full text of the resolution is available here.