Formatting necessary for an accurate reading of this text may be shown by tags (e.g., <DELETED> or <BOLD>) or may be missing from this TXT display. For complete and accurate display of this text, see the PDF.
[Pages S4637-S4638]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SENATE RESOLUTION 270--RECOGNIZING THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE
STONEWALL UPRISING
Ms. BALDWIN (for herself, Mrs. Gillibrand, Mr. Schumer, Ms. Collins,
Ms. Cantwell, Mr. Markey, Mr. Casey, Ms. Harris, Mr. Murphy, Mr.
Bennet, Mr. Durbin, Mrs. Murray, Mr. Booker, Ms. Klobuchar, Mr.
Sanders, Mr. Coons, Ms. Smith, Mrs. Shaheen, Mr. Wyden, Mr. Carper, Ms.
Hirono, Mr. Blumenthal, Ms. Duckworth, Mr. Merkley, Mr. Cardin, Ms.
Hassan, and Mrs. Feinstein) submitted the following resolution; which
was considered and agreed to:
S. Res. 270
Whereas the Stonewall Inn opened on or around March 18,
1967, at 53 Christopher Street in the Greenwich Village
neighborhood of New York City;
Whereas the neighborhood of Greenwich Village, and
establishments like the Stonewall Inn, served as a sanctuary
for members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and
queer (referred to in this preamble as ``LGBTQ'') community
from persecution by police and society at large;
Whereas during the time around the opening of the Stonewall
Inn, many State and local governments, including New York
City, criminalized how LGBTQ individuals express their
identities and relationships, which resulted in LGBTQ
individuals frequently being harassed by law enforcement,
including the New York City Police Department (referred to in
this preamble as the ``NYPD'');
Whereas LGBTQ individuals had begun to stand up to such
police harassment, including at Cooper Do-nuts in Los Angeles
in 1959, Compton's Cafeteria in San Francisco in 1966, and
Black Cat Tavern in Los Angeles in 1967;
Whereas, in the early morning hours of June 28, 1969, the
NYPD raided the Stonewall Inn and arrested many patrons;
Whereas brave individuals, particularly transgender women
of color, stood up to injustice the night of June 28, 1969,
which sparked an uprising against the NYPD, with
confrontations and protests at the Stonewall Inn and the
surrounding area lasting until July 3, 1969;
Whereas the Stonewall uprising empowered thousands of LGBTQ
individuals to emerge from the shadows and come out publicly
as they stood up for their community the night of June 28,
1969 and beyond, putting their lives and safety at risk;
Whereas, along with public protests in Chicago, Los
Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Washington,
D.C., and elsewhere, the Stonewall uprising became a catalyst
for the LGBTQ civil rights movement to secure social and
political equality and inspired the formation of many
advocacy organizations;
Whereas, on June 27-28, 1970, members of the LGBTQ
community commemorated the first anniversary of Stonewall and
reaffirmed the solidarity of the LGBTQ community by
organizing the first Pride marches, or gatherings, in New
York City, San Francisco, Chicago, and Los Angeles;
Whereas the Stonewall uprising is remembered and celebrated
every year in June during ``LGBTQ Pride Month'';
Whereas in June 2016 the Stonewall Inn and its surrounding
area was declared a national monument, becoming the first
national monument to commemorate the LGBTQ civil rights
movement;
Whereas WorldPride will be held in June 2019 for the first
time in the United States in New York City to commemorate the
Stonewall uprising, bringing representatives of the global
LGBTQ community to recognize these historic events;
Whereas on May 30, 2019, New York City announced that it
would dedicate a monument honoring pioneering transgender
activists and key leaders in the Stonewall uprising, Marsha
P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, the first permanent public
monument in the world honoring transgender women;
Whereas on June 6, 2019, the NYPD officially apologized for
the raid on the Stonewall Inn;
Whereas, despite the progress made since the Stonewall
uprising, members of the LGBTQ community have experienced
biased policing and are still at significant risk of violence
and discrimination;
Whereas, according to the annual hate crimes report
published by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, LGBTQ
individuals, particularly LGBTQ individuals of color,
continue to be the target of bias-motivated violence, and
efforts to address this violence may be hindered by a
continued lack of trust in law enforcement;
Whereas not less than 100 transgender individuals,
primarily women of color, have been murdered in the United
States since the beginning of 2015; and
Whereas no individual in the United States should have to
fear being the target of violence because of who they are or
who they love: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) recognizes the 50th Anniversary of the Stonewall
uprising;
(2) condemns violence and discrimination against members of
the LGBTQ community and recommits itself to securing justice,
[[Page S4638]]
equality, and well-being for LGBTQ individuals; and
(3) commends the bravery, solidarity, and resiliency of the
LGBTQ community in the face of violence and discrimination,
both past and present.
____________________
