Assembly Resolution No. 918
BY: M. of A. Rules (Glick)
MEMORIALIZING Governor Andrew M. Cuomo to proclaim
June 2020, as Gay Pride Month in the State of New
York
WHEREAS, Members of this Legislative Body support the rights,
freedoms, and equality of those who are lesbian, gay, bisexual,
transgender and queer (LGBTQ); and
WHEREAS, Those who took a stand for human rights and dignity at the
Stonewall Inn in New York City on June 28, 1969, are among the pioneers
within this movement; this year marks the 51st Anniversary of the
Stonewall Riots; and
WHEREAS, The LGBTQ Stonewall protestors were subject to police
harassment and invidious discrimination based on sexual orientation and
gender identity and expression; and
WHEREAS, This decisive moment in history was followed by the
creation of gay rights organizations in every major city in the United
States within two years of the Stonewall uprising; and
WHEREAS, The Stonewall uprising has been followed by many positive
progressive historic moments; and
WHEREAS, One year after the Stonewall uprising, on June 28, 1970,
the first gay pride marches took place in New York City, Los Angeles and
San Francisco; and
WHEREAS, Each year, since the Stonewall uprising, the end of June
has been celebrated as gay pride with LGBTQ pride marches and other
events being held throughout New York State, and throughout the world;
WHEREAS, A Marriage Equality Bill first passed the New York State
Assembly in 2007; and
WHEREAS, The Marriage Equality Act passed both houses and was signed
into law in New York State on June 24, 2011, making the state the sixth
in the nation to do so; and
WHEREAS, The year 2012 marked the first year all 50 States in the
United States had at least one openly LGBTQ elected official; and
WHEREAS, On June 26, 2013, New York State resident Edith Windsor,
represented by Roberta Kaplan, won her case against the United States;
the Supreme Court ruled that section three of the Defense of Marriage
Act was unconstitutional and the Federal Government cannot discriminate
against married lesbian and gay couples for the purposes of determining
Federal benefits and protections; and
WHEREAS, On June 9, 2015, Secretary of Defense Ash Carter announced
that the Military Equal Opportunity policy has been adjusted to include
gay and lesbian military members; and
WHEREAS, On June 26, 2015, the Supreme Court ruled that states
cannot ban same-sex marriage; and
WHEREAS, On June 24, 2016, then President Barack Obama announced the
designation of the first national monument to lesbian, gay, bisexual
Transgender and queer (LGBTQ) rights; the Stonewall National Monument
will encompass Christopher Park, the Stonewall Inn and the surrounding
streets and sidewalks that were the sites of the 1969 Stonewall
uprising; and
WHEREAS, On April 4, 2017, the 7th District Court of Appeals ruled
that the Civil Rights Act prohibits workplace discrimination against
LGBTQ employees, after Kimberly Hively sues Ivy Tech Community College
for violating Title VII of the act by denying her employment; and
WHEREAS, This year, the LGBTQ community lost playwright and activist
Larry Kramer, who was a cofounder of the Gay Men's Health Crisis (GMHC)
and ACT-UP; these two organizations brought attention to the AIDS crisis
in America through political action at a time when LGBTQ Americans were
most acutely affected; though Larry Kramer was known for his
confrontational style, his work with GMHC and ACT-UP forced the
government on all levels to respond to the AIDS crisis when it was
reluctant to help the LGBTQ community because of widespread homophobia;
he is survived by his husband David Webster; and
WHEREAS, This Pride Month we also mourn the loss of Terrence
McNally, the revered playwright and screenwriter who was called the
"bard of the American Theater"; he won many awards for his plays
including a Tony for Best Book of a Musical, a Tony for Best Play and a
special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement; he is survived by his
husband Tom Kirdahy; and
WHEREAS, The Stonewall uprising and the LGBTQ movement included the
contributions of people like Marsha P. Johnson whose work along with
fellow person of color and New Yorker, Sylvia Rivera, has brought
attention to the continued struggle for the rights of transgender and
gender non-conforming people; and
WHEREAS, The month of June reminds us of all the achievements of the
past and highlights the work that remains to be done; now, therefore, be
it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
memorialize Governor Andrew M. Cuomo to proclaim June 2020, as Gay Pride
Month in the State of New York; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to The Honorable Andrew M. Cuomo, Governor of the State of
New York.
