WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Tom Udall (D-N.M.) and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) , along with every Senate Democrat, have 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.
“I am proud to stand with our LGBTQ friends, family members, coworkers, and neighbors in New Mexico, and across the country, in the fight for equality each and every day,” said Udall. “While I welcome the recent Supreme Court decision to ensure workplace rights for the LGBTQ community, there is more work to be done. I am glad to introduce this resolution designating June as Pride Month, and I continue to call on Republican leadership in the Senate to bring the Equality Act to the floor for a vote. Pride Month is a time for all of us to celebrate how far we’ve come as a country, and recognize the historic achievements of the civil rights leaders who fought for that progress. In honor of their trailblazing work, we renew our commitment to fight for equality and a world in which everyone can live without fear – and with the pride, dignity, and respect they deserve.”
“I am proud to stand with New Mexico's LGBTQ community and recommit to the effort to advance equality for every single American, no matter who they are or who they love," said Heinrich. "If we have learned anything in recent years, it’s that progress is not a straight line. We have seen landmark judicial decisions that are moving us closer to full equality under the law. But we have also seen continued cases of discrimination, deadly violence, and a White House hell bent on overturning key legal protections for LGBTQ Americans. I am committed to standing with the LGBTQ community in the unfinished fight to ensure every one of us has equal health care access, employment opportunities, fair housing, physical safety, and a true sense of belonging.”
Senators Udall and Heinrich cosponsored the first-ever Senate Pride Month Resolution in June 2017, after President Trump broke the eight-year tradition of offering an official presidential proclamation recognizing June as Pride Month. This is the fourth year in a row that the resolution has been introduced. On Monday, the Supreme Court affirmed that federal employment laws protect LGBTQ people from workplace discrimination, a landmark case and victory for the LGBTQ community.
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.
Full text of the resolution is available here .
