I received this at work and thought this was amazing. This is definitely something that would never have been issued had the last election had a (horribly) different outcome. What amazing progress we've made.
Presidential Proclamation -- Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month, 2013
For
more than two centuries, our Nation has struggled to transform the
ideals of liberty and equality from founding promise into lasting
reality. Lesbian, gay, bisexual,
and transgender (LGBT) Americans and their allies have been hard at
work on the next great chapter of that history -- from the patrons of
The Stonewall Inn who sparked a movement to service members who can
finally be honest about who they love to brave young
people who come out and speak out every day.
This
year, we celebrate LGBT Pride Month at a moment of great hope and
progress, recognizing that more needs to be done. Support for LGBT
equality is growing, led by a generation
which understands that, in the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.,
"injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." In the past
year, for the first time, voters in multiple States affirmed marriage
equality for same-sex couples. State and local governments
have taken important steps to provide much-needed protections for
transgender Americans.
My
Administration is a proud partner in the journey toward LGBT equality.
We extended hate crimes protections to include attacks based on sexual
orientation or gender identity
and repealed "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." We lifted the HIV entry ban and
ensured hospital visitation rights for LGBT patients. Together, we have
investigated and addressed pervasive bullying faced by LGBT students,
prohibited discrimination based on sexual orientation
and gender identity in Federal housing, and extended benefits for
same-sex domestic partners. Earlier this year, I signed a
reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) that prohibits
discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender
identity in the implementation of any VAWA-funded program. And because
LGBT rights are human rights, my Administration is implementing the
first-ever Federal strategy to advance equality for LGBT people around
the world.
We
have witnessed real and lasting change, but our work is not complete. I
continue to support a fully inclusive Employment Non-Discrimination
Act, as well as the Respect
for Marriage Act. My Administration continues to implement the
Affordable Care Act, which beginning in 2014, prohibits insurers from
denying coverage to consumers based on their sexual orientation or
gender identity, as well as the National HIV/AIDS Strategy,
which addresses the disparate impact of the HIV epidemic among certain
LGBT sub-communities. We have a long way to go, but if we continue on
this path together, I am confident that one day soon, from coast to
coast, all of our young people will look to the
future with the same sense of promise and possibility. I am confident
because I have seen the talent, passion, and commitment of LGBT
advocates and their allies, and I know that when voices are joined in
common purpose, they cannot be stopped.
NOW,
THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America,
by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws
of the United States,
do hereby proclaim June 2013 as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender
Pride Month. I call upon the people of the United States to eliminate
prejudice everywhere it exists, and to celebrate the great diversity of
the American people.
IN
WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this thirty-first day of
May, in the year of our Lord two thousand thirteen, and of the
Independence of the United States
of America the two hundred and thirty-seventh.
BARACK OBAMA
