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Senate Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
Senate of Pennsylvania
Session of 2021 - 2022
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | May 26, 2022 03:11 PM |
|---|---|
| From: | Senator Sharif Street |
| To: | All Senate members |
| Subject: | Resolution Recognizing June 2022 as LGBTQ+ Pride Month in Pennsylvania |
| In the near future, I intend to introduce a resolution recognizing June 2022 as LGBTQ+ Pride Month in Pennsylvania. This will be the sixth consecutive year that I will introduce this resolution and I continue to be disappointed that some members have blocked passage of this resolution by unanimous consent in each of the preceding years. It is my hope that with enough co-sponsors, this year will be the year that we are able to pass this important resolution. LGBTQ+ Pride Month is a national celebration recognizing the remarkable strides made by the queer community over the last half century. The LGBTQ+ community represents a significant number of Pennsylvanians, and these individuals are a vibrant and integral part of our society with their quest for equality deeply rooted within our state’s history. Many critical moments in this community’s history have taken place in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. In 1965, supporters of equal rights staged a sit-in at Dewey’s Lunch Counter in Philadelphia. Also in 1965, gay and lesbian protestors marched annually in front of the Liberty Bell to draw attention to the community’s own struggle for liberty and equality. June itself commemorates the anniversary of the Stonewall Inn demonstrations in New York City and the formation of the Gay Liberation Front that followed. These events are considered important moments in the history of the LGBTQ+ community on their way to achieving full equality. Unfortunately, today we are seeing renewed attacks on the LGBTQ+ community around the country and Commonwealth. Multiple states have introduced or passed legislation banning basic conversation around gender identity and sexual orientation and banning books and other instructional materials related to the same. LGBTQ+ athletes are facing severe restrictions or bans in several states simply by participating in athletics as their true selves. Increasingly hostile and hysterical rhetoric has been gaining traction among certain state and national figures – and we know what dehumanizing language can lead to when left unchecked. For these reasons and more, it is even more vital that we honor and recognize the sacrifices and triumphs of the LGBTQ+ community this Pride month. I urge you to join me in sponsoring this important resolution. If you have any questions, contact my openly gay Policy Director, Micah Mahjoubian, at micah.mahjoubian@pasenate.com. |
Introduced as SR313