Resolution 2021-31714 RESOLUTION NO. 2021-31714
A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF
MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, DECLARING THE MONTH OF JUNE
2021 AS LGBTQ PRIDE MONTH IN THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH.
i
WHEREAS, LGBTQ Pride Month is celebrated each year during the month of
June, in commemoration of the 1969 Stonewall Uprising — an incident sparked by a
police raid on the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in New York City's Greenwich Village; and
WHEREAS, the Stonewall Uprising became an important rallying cry for the
nascent gay rights movement; and
WHEREAS, the actions of the police sparked six days of heavy protests and
violent clashes with law enforcement; and
WHEREAS, the courageousness and valor displayed by the members of the
LGBTQ community in the Stonewall Uprising served as a catalyst for the Gay Rights
Movement around the world; and
WHEREAS, what started as "Gay Pride Day" (formerly celebrated on the last
Sunday in June) slowly grew to encompass a month-long series of events, which
eventually evolved into Gay Pride Month; and
WHEREAS, Gay Pride Month commemorates the impact that the LGBTQ
community has had on local, national, and international history; honors members of the
LGBTQ community who have been lost to hate crimes and HIV/AIDS; and features
celebrations such as pride parades, picnics, parties, workshops, and concerts; and
WHEREAS, during the last decade, our country have made tremendous strides in
the LGBTQ equality movement, including legalizing gay marriage nationwide, electing
LGBTQ elected officials on local, state, and federal levels, the repeal of the "Don't Ask,
Don't Tell" policy; and
WHEREAS, on February 25, 2021, the United States House of Representatives,
passed a bill, H.R. 5, entitled the "Equality Act," which would extend federal anti-
discrimination protections to LGBTQ Americans; and
WHEREAS, the Equality Act, which is currently facing an uncertain future in the
U.S. Senate, would amend the 1964 Civil Rights Act to explicitly prevent discrimination
based on sexual orientation and gender identity, thus prohibiting discrimination based on
sexual orientation and gender identity in housing, employment, credit, and federally
funded programs, among other areas; and
WHEREAS, this Pride month, we must reflect not only on the progress that has
been made in the national and global effort to advance human rights, but also on the
specific challenges that remain for members of LGBTQ communities in the U.S. and
around the world; and
WHEREAS, in addition to celebrations of LGBTQ achievements and progress,
Gay Pride celebrations stand against a longstanding and continued history of
discrimination and violence toward the LGBTQ community; and
WHEREAS, it is important to remember that the revolutionary riots at Stonewall
were spearheaded by many LGBTQ people of color, including black and brown
transgender women, and that none of the progress made towards the acceptance and
equality of LGBTQ individuals over the past 51 years would be possible if not for the
action and courage of those protestors; and
WHEREAS, over the last few years, there has been a disturbing proliferation of
anti-trans bills, targeting transgender and nonbinary people for discrimination, such as by
barring or criminalizing healthcare for transgender youth, barring access to the use of
appropriate facilities like restrooms, restricting transgender students' ability to fully
participate in school and sports, allowing religiously-motivated discrimination against
trans people, or making it more difficult for trans people to get identification documents
with their name and gender; and
WHEREAS, in 2021, approximately thirty (30) states have introduced and are
considering legislation that would ban transgender students from competing on school
sports teams that align with their gender identities; and
WHEREAS, on April 28, 2021, the Florida Legislature passed an anti-transgender
sports bill, which, pending the signature from Governor DeSantis, will block transgender
girls from playing on school sports teams that align with their gender identity; and
WHEREAS, South Dakota, Mississippi, Arkansas, Alabama West Virginia, and
Tennessee also have enacted similar sports bans this year, and Arkansas just recently
also passed a law that prohibits doctors from administering gender-affirming treatments
to trans patients under 18-years-old; and
WHEREAS, these bills do not come from concerns of constituents but from anti-
LGBTQ organizations like the Heritage Foundation, Alliance Defending Freedom
(designated by Southern Poverty Law Center as a hate group), and Eagle Forum among
others—the same forces that drove previous anti-equality fights by pushing copycat bills
across state houses; and
WHEREAS, Pride Month provides an important opportunity to condemn
transphobia, racism, systemic injustice, and police brutality, and to elevate voices and
amplify stories of trans people, black people, indigenous people, and other minorities,
including those within the LGBTQ community; and
WHEREAS, in the words of late LGBTQ activist Marsha P. Johnson, there can be
"no pride for some of us without liberation for all of us"; and
WHEREAS, Miami Beach prides itself on the City's longstanding commitment to
honoring the LGBTQ community, and supporting and encouraging a dialogue that
promotes equality, dignity, and human rights for all.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT DULY RESOLVED BY THE MAYOR AND CITY
COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA that the Mayor and the City
hereby declare the month of June 2021 as LGBTQ Pride Month in the City of Miami
Beach.
Pal/
PASSED AND ADOPTED this 1g" day of • , 2021.
ATTEST:
Dan Gelber, Mayor
Ra ael E. ranado, City Clerk
INCORPORATED'
(Sponsored by Commissioner David Richardson) ..
APPROVED AS TO
FORM & LANGUAGE
& FOR EXECUTION
c=11--/A
City Attorneyt.4‘• Date
Resolutions-R7 M
MIAMI BEACH
COMMISSION MEMORANDUM
TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Commission
FROM: Rafael A. Paz,Acting City Attorney
DATE: May 12, 2021
SUBJECT:A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF MIAMI
BEACH, FLORIDA, DECLARING THE MONTH OF JUNE 2021 AS LGBTQ
PRIDE MONTH IN THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH.
RECOMMENDATION
The attached Resolution was prepared at the request of Commissioner David Richardson, the
sponsor of this item,for consideration at the May 12, 2021 City Commission meeting.
SUPPORTING SURVEY DATA
N/A
Is this a"Residents Right Does this item utilize G.O.
to Know" item. pursuant to Bond Funds?
City Code Section 2-14?
No No
Legislative Tracking
Office of the City Attorney
Sponsor
Commissioner David Richardson
ATTACHMENTS:
Description
❑ Resolution
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