HR 426

                                               PRINTER'S NO.    2970
             THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
      HOUSE RESOLUTION
         No. 426
                                         Session of
                                           2026
INTRODUCED BY BENHAM, CARROLL, KENYATTA, MAYES, SALISBURY,
   SCOTT, SMITH-WADE-EL, WAXMAN, FRANKEL, FREEMAN, VENKAT,
   HOHENSTEIN, BRENNAN, SANCHEZ, PIELLI, McNEILL, MALAGARI,
   KHAN, SCHLOSSBERG, SAMUELSON, T. DAVIS, DELLOSO, KINKEAD,
   ISAACSON, RIVERA, MERSKI, SHUSTERMAN AND CEPEDA-FREYTIZ,
   MARCH 9, 2026
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT, MARCH 9, 2026
                          A RESOLUTION
1 Recognizing the month of June 2026 as "LGBTQ+ Pride Month" in
2    Pennsylvania.
3    WHEREAS, Our Commonwealth was founded on the principles of
4 freedom, fairness and tolerance; and
5    WHEREAS, Through military service, in debates and
6 demonstrations, at the polls and in countless other acts of
7 democracy, Pennsylvanians have consistently defended these
8 principles; and
9    WHEREAS, Many lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer
10 or questioning (LGBTQ+) Pennsylvanians and their allies have had
11 significant roles in the economic, cultural, spiritual and
12 political development of this Commonwealth while working
13 tirelessly to maintain and promote culture and history; and
14    WHEREAS, This Commonwealth has been the site of many pivotal
15 moments in LGBTQ+ history; and
16    WHEREAS, The activism that has been vital for promoting
1 tolerance and acceptance of the LGBTQ+ community has flourished
2 in this Commonwealth; and
3WHEREAS, On April 25, 1965, borrowing a strategy associated
4 with the African-American civil rights movement, a group of
5 gender-variant persons of color organized a sit-in to protest
6 discrimination toward LGBTQ+ individuals at Dewey's lunch
7 counter in Philadelphia; and
8WHEREAS, This event has been recognized as the first LGBTQ+
9 sit-in in the nation and one of the first demonstrations
10 launched with the goal of protecting the dignity of LGBTQ+
11 individuals; and
12WHEREAS, The Annual Reminder marches held in front of the
13 Liberty Bell on Independence Day from 1965 through 1969 drew
14 national attention to the LGBTQ+ community's struggle for
15 liberty and equality; and
16WHEREAS, Initiatives in keeping with the Dewey's lunch
17 counter and Annual Reminder demonstrations have generated
18 greater inclusion among LGBTQ+ Americans in their respective
19 communities; and
20WHEREAS, Commonwealth agencies and officers have
21 traditionally been on the forefront of LGBTQ+ recognition,
22 regardless of which political party has been in control; and
23WHEREAS, In 1975, Governor Milton Shapp issued the first
24 Statewide resolution in the nation recognizing LGBTQ+ equality;
25 and
26WHEREAS, In 1976, Governor Shapp established the Pennsylvania
27 Council for Sexual Minorities, the first governmental body in
28 the nation to examine LGBTQ+ issues; and
29WHEREAS, In 1979, Governor Richard Thornburgh became the
30 first Republican governor in the nation to issue a Statewide
20260HR0426PN2970  - 2 -
1 resolution recognizing LGBTQ+ equality; and
2    WHEREAS, Pennsylvanians remain committed to advancing LGBTQ+
3 inclusion and quality of life; and
4    WHEREAS, This Commonwealth is home to Philadelphia Gay News,
5 the oldest continually published magazine devoted to LGBTQ+
6 issues; and
7    WHEREAS, The John C. Anderson Apartments in Philadelphia, one
8 of the nation's first affordable LGBTQ+ elder housing
9 facilities, and the Persad Center in Pittsburgh, the second
10 oldest licensed counseling center serving the LGBTQ+ community
11 and people living with HIV, offer additional resources; and
12    WHEREAS, The month of June is recognized worldwide as "LGBTQ+
13 Pride Month" to commemorate the Stonewall riots in New York
14 City, considered to be a turning point in the fight for global
15 LGBTQ+ equality; and
16    WHEREAS, "LGBTQ+ Pride Month" highlights the work, struggles,
17 accomplishments and challenges of LGBTQ+ individuals in this
18 Commonwealth and beyond; and
19    WHEREAS, As a celebration of diversity, "LGBTQ+ Pride Month"
20 reflects this Commonwealth's unique history of welcoming and
21 securing equal treatment for all individuals and adds greatly to
22 the social inclusion and economic health and well-being of our
23 communities; and
24    WHEREAS, With increasing anti-LGBTQ+ hate, the House of
25 Representatives must show now more than ever that we stand in
26 solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community and that they deserve to be
27 visible and heard; and
28    WHEREAS, More work needs to be done to eliminate
29 discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community; therefore be it
30    RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives recognize the
20260HR0426PN2970  - 3 -
1 month of June 2026 as "LGBTQ+ Pride Month" in Pennsylvania.
20260HR0426PN2970  - 4 -