Sens. Murray, Cantwell support Senate Resolution to recognize June as Pride Month

First official Senate designation of LGBTQ Pride Month

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Patty Murray (D-WA) and Maria Cantwell (D-WA) joined a group of their Senate colleagues today to introduce the first-ever Senate Resolution recognizing June as LGBTQ Pride Month. The resolution notes major milestones in the fight for equal treatment of LGBTQ Americans and resolves to continue efforts to achieve full equality for LGBTQ individuals. Today, June 28, marks the 48th anniversary of the Stonewall riots.

“Across Washington state and the country, LGBTQ individuals and allies came together this June to celebrate Pride and the diversity that gives our country its strength,” said Sen. Murray. “I am proud to join my colleagues in recognizing Pride in the Senate, particularly given the Trump Administration’s deafening silence on this issue. And I am committed, now more than ever, to work towards the kind of country we all know we can be—where everyone is treated equally, no matter who they are or who they love.”

“Every June, Washingtonians celebrate our proud LGBTQ community, honor their contributions, and recommit ourselves to ending discrimination and prejudice,” said Sen. Cantwell. “By recognizing June as Pride Month we reaffirm that our march towards full equality will never stop.”

Senators Murray and Cantwell have been ardent advocates for LGBTQ equality. In 2014, they urged then-President Barack Obama to issue an executive order banning contractors from receiving federal government contracts unless they have a policy prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.  In 2016, Murray and Cantwell pressed the Food and Drug Administration to end its discriminatory blood donation deferral policy against healthy gay and bisexual men, as well as some transgender Americans.  That same year, they helped protect America’s young people by demanding the Department of Education make public its guidelines on protections afforded to transgender and gender non-conforming students in middle schools, high schools and colleges.

U.S. Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Al Franken (D-MN), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Tom Carper (D-DE), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Chris Coons (D-DE), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Ed Markey (D-MA), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Kamala Harris (D-CA), and Catherine Cortez-Masto (D-NV) joined Senators Murray and Cantwell to sponsor the resolution.