[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 508 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 508

Honoring the struggle, sacrifice, and triumph of the LGBTQ+ movement in 
                                Georgia.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 13, 2023

 Mr. David Scott of Georgia (for himself, Mr. Johnson of Georgia, Mrs. 
McBath, Ms. Williams of Georgia, Ms. Tlaib, and Mr. Bishop of Georgia) 
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 
                            on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
Honoring the struggle, sacrifice, and triumph of the LGBTQ+ movement in 
                                Georgia.

Whereas LGBTQ+ individuals in Georgia have historically encountered bigotry, 
        discrimination, hatred, and violence, but have struggled tirelessly to 
        obtain equal rights and protection of the law;
Whereas, in 1833, the Georgia General Assembly codified a prohibition on same-
        sex relations, threatening LGBTQ+ individuals with harsh punishment for 
        expressing their love;
Whereas, in 1953, 20 gay men were arrested in a sting operation at the Atlanta 
        Public Library, continuing a pattern of targeted action by members of 
        law enforcement against the gay community;
Whereas, in 1969, Atlanta police initiated a raid on a movie theater known to be 
        frequented by gay individuals;
Whereas such events inspired young generations of gay Georgians to rally in a 
        public manner to promote their cause to end discrimination and guarantee 
        equality;
Whereas, in 1971, the inaugural Atlanta Gay Pride Parade was organized by the 
        Georgia Gay Liberation Front, providing an outlet for the LGBTQ+ 
        community to openly display their pride and embrace of gay culture;
Whereas, in 1972, the first Metropolitan Community Church, an LGBTQ+-affirming 
        Protestant denomination, opened in Atlanta;
Whereas, in 1972, then-Atlanta Mayor Sam Massell appointed Charlie St. John as 
        the city's first LGBTQ+ liaison to the city government as part of the 
        Community Relations Commission;
Whereas, in 1974, activist Bill Smith founded the Atlanta Barb, Georgia's first 
        newspaper dedicated to covering the LGBTQ+ community;
Whereas, in 1976, the Atlanta Gay Center, a community organization that provided 
        direct support and resources to the LGBTQ+ community, was founded and 
        opened;
Whereas, in 1978, a bigoted, antigay rally in Georgia drew a crowd of 4,000 
        people;
Whereas, in 1979, thousands of Georgians joined in the first national March on 
        Washington for gay rights;
Whereas, by 1981, the HIV/AIDS crisis had come to the forefront of national 
        attention partly due to the work of the Centers for Disease Control in 
        Atlanta to study and treat the disease;
Whereas, in 1983, AID Atlanta was formed as an educational and service 
        organization to educate people on the realities of the HIV/AIDS epidemic 
        and provide support for those suffering from the disease;
Whereas, throughout the epidemic, gay individuals in Georgia faced large-scale 
        discrimination and bigotry;
Whereas, in 1983, the Atlanta Campaign for Human Rights was founded, the legacy 
        of that organization is now carried on by Georgia Equality, with a 
        mission to ``advance fairness, safety, and opportunities for LGBTQ+ 
        communities'' across the State;
Whereas, in 1984, the Atlanta city government declared the city's first ``Gay 
        and Lesbian Civil Rights Day'';
Whereas, in 1985, Congregation Bet Haverim opened as Georgia's first LGBTQ+ 
        welcoming synagogue, to serve the expansive interests of the State's 
        LGBTQ+ Jewish community;
Whereas, in 1986, a challenge to Georgia's repressive laws criminalizing same-
        sex relations in Bowers v. Hardwick reached the Supreme Court;
Whereas, in 1988, Southern Voice, an LGBTQ+ newspaper dedicated to serving the 
        community through breaking news and thoughtful analysis, was founded in 
        Atlanta;
Whereas, in 1988, then-Mayor Maynard Jackson became the first Atlanta mayor to 
        attend an LGBTQ+ pride event;
Whereas the 1990s saw a rapid influx of LGBTQ+ individuals into Atlanta in 
        search of acceptance, understanding, diversity, and equality;
Whereas, in 1997, a domestic terrorist injured five people by bombing the 
        Otherside Lounge, a lesbian bar in Atlanta;
Whereas, in 1997, Cathy Woolard became the first openly gay individual elected 
        in Georgia, as a member of the Atlanta City Council;
Whereas, in 1998, the Georgia Supreme Court struck down State law prohibiting 
        same-sex relations as unconstitutional;
Whereas, in 2003, Fulton County became the first county in the State to 
        recognize domestic benefits for residents in same-sex unions;
Whereas, in 2015, the Supreme Court decided in Obergefell v. Hodges that same-
        sex marriage should be legal and recognized across the country, 
        representing a massive victory for LGBTQ+ Americans nationwide;
Whereas Georgia is home to an estimated 425,000 individuals identifying as 
        members of the LGBTQ+ community;
Whereas public opinion polls find that a majority of Georgia residents support 
        same-sex marriage and support implementing antidiscrimination laws based 
        on sexual orientation; and
Whereas there are currently no Georgia State laws to protect against LGBTQ+ 
        discrimination in family services, housing, banking, public 
        accommodations, health care, and education: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) honors the struggle, sacrifice, and triumph of LGBTQ+ 
        individuals in Georgia;
            (2) recognizes the historical significance that Georgia has 
        played in the LGBTQ+ movement; and
            (3) recognizes that further work is necessary to guarantee 
        equality and liberty for all LGBTQ+ individuals both in Georgia 
        and the United States.
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