Res 0123-2024

Whereas, The LGBTQIA+ community has long been marginalized, and the movement for equal rights for LGBTQIA+ individuals in the United States has spanned many decades; and Whereas, The first documented gay rights organization in the U.S., the Society for Human Rights, was established in 1924, creating the first known publication in support of gay rights, Friendship and Freedom; and Whereas, On June 28, 1969, a series of protests for gay rights spanning 6 days took place outside of the Stonewall Inn in New York City; and Whereas, This uprising, commonly referred to as the Stonewall Riots or Stonewall Uprising, was a major turning point in the fight for the rights of groups marginalized due to their sexual orientation, which subsequently led to further progress in securing rights for LGBTQIA+ individuals of all types; and Whereas, For example, the Supreme Court in 2015 and 2020 issued decisions that led to the legalization of same-sex marriage and the prohibition of discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity within employment, respectively; and Whereas, Despite this significant progress, members of the LGBTQIA+ community still continue to face discrimination and hate; and Whereas, According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation ("FBI"), as of 2020, the number of hate crimes reported across the country reached its highest level in more than two decades; and Whereas, In their annual release of hate crime statistics in 2021, with regard to the total number of hate crimes that occurred nationwide in 2020, the FBI reported that 20 percent were anti-gay incidents, the highest category second only to race and ancestry; and Whereas, On December 13, 2022 President Joseph Biden signed into law H.R. 8404/S. 4556, also known as the Respect For Marriage Act, which repeals the Defense of Marriage Act and provides statutory authority for same-sex and interracial marriage; and Whereas, A number of other bills have been introduced in the 117th Congress (2021-2022) to strengthen and protect the rights of LGBTQIA+ individuals; and Whereas, H.R. 5/S. 393, also known as the Equality Act, would prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex, gender identity, and sexual orientation; and Whereas, H.R. 7993, also known as the Ruthie and Connie LGBTQ Elder Americans Act of 2022, would update the Older Americans Act of 1965 to better serve LGBT elders by establishing a National Resource Center on LGBT Aging, and determining the needs of LGBT elders through data collection and research; and Whereas, H.R. 4176/S. 2287, also known as the LGBTQI+ Data Inclusion Act, would require federal agencies that collect information through surveys for statistical purposes that include demographics to review existing data sets to determine which data sets do not include information about sexual orientation, gender identity, and variations in sex characteristics; and Whereas, The aforementioned legislation could greatly impact the lives of LGBTQIA+ individuals living in the United States and should be passed by Congress and signed into law by the President; now therefore, be it Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York calls on Congress to pass, and the President to sign, the LGBTQIA+ package of legislation currently before Congress. Session 13 LS #10567 01/17/2024 Session 12 LS #10567 12/14/2022 WD