Fairfax City Mayor Scott Silverthorne reads aloud a proclamation he will present to members of Northern VA Pride recognizing June as LGBT Pride Month (Photo: Northern VA Pride, via Facebook).
The respective mayors and City Councils of Alexandria and Fairfax City issued proclamations on Tuesday night declaring June as LGBT/LGBTQ Pride Month for the third year in a row, in a symbolic show of solidarity with the Northern Virginia LGBT community. In issuing the proclamations, they join the City of Falls Church, the Town of Herndon, Arlington County and Fairfax County, who have all recognized the historical significance of the month for LGBT people in this country.
“It’s a small gesture, but it’s a really important one, to send a signal to LGBTQ people in each area that their community welcomes them and appreciates the contributions they make as citizens,” says Brian Reach, the president and executive director of Northern VA Pride. “It removes stigma, and it’s very important. Even if it’s just a piece of paper, it’s a lot more than that to the people who might be feeling outcast or rejected.”
Nearly all of the proclamations received unanimous approval from local councils or boards of supervisors, save for Fairfax County and the Town of Herndon, where there was one empty seat. In Fairfax County, that seat belongs to supervisor Pat Herrity (R-Springfield), who has made it a point to walk out before the vote in each of the four years the proclamation has been brought before the board.
Reach says Northern VA Pride reached out to other local governments to ask them if they’d consider proposing similar resolutions. In the City of Manassas and the City of Manassas Park, some government officials supported the idea, but there are not enough votes to bring such a proclamation to a vote. Next door, Prince William County’s Board of Supervisors has not responded to inquiries from Northern VA Pride.
But perhaps the most blatant disrespect comes from Loudoun County, where Democrats had three surprise victories in the 2015 elections. As such, they have enough votes to bring a resolution or proclamation up for a vote, but cannot guarantee it will pass the nine-member board.
Reach says allies on the Council are expected to bring up the issue at the board’s July 5 meeting, but also notes there is a strong push by conservatives to block any motion having to do with LGBT rights. The Republican Party of Loudoun previously wrote a letter to the board objecting to any resolution that did not have to do with fiscal issues, accusing Democrats on the board of politicizing the issue.
“Loudoun residents are tired of Democrats on the Board of Supervisors using their positions to play politics rather than focusing on their responsibilities to manage the county,” Will Estrada, the chairman of the Loudoun County Republican Committee, said in a statement.
But Democrat Kristen Umstattd told LoudounNow.com that she had brought up the resolution after being approached by more than 30 county residents following the mass shooting at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Fla. She likened the resolution to others the board has taken up to recognize cancer survivors, Black History Month, and equal rights for women.
Reach says that, regardless of the political gamesmanship going on behind the scenes in Loudoun County, his organization is not phased, and plans to lobby for a resolution or proclamation next year.
“If we can’t get it passed, we’d at least like to have our leaders make their positions known,” says Reach. “It’s progress just to even get a response from Loudoun. Because this is the third year we’ve tried to approach them, and this is the first year we’ve heard back.”
The U.S. Department of Education announced that June would be honored as "Title IX Month."
The announcement is widely viewed as a swipe at the LGBTQ community, and in particular, the transgender community, which has traditionally June as Pride Month.
Title IX is the law prohibiting sex-based discrimination in educational institutions receiving federal funding.
Historically — and in the view of conservatives — Title IX was intended to protect individuals based on their sex assigned at birth, and is widely credited with expanding educational and athletic opportunities for women.
To shamelessly troll the LGBTQ community's Pride month of June, Ohio Republicans introduced a bill designating the period between Mother's Day to Father's Day as "Natural Family Month."
Sponsored by State Reps. Beth Lear (R-Galena) and Josh Williams (R-Sylvania Township), the bill intends to honor Ohio families headed by a heterosexual couple in a lifelong, monogamous relationship. That means no single parents, no divorcees, and, by all means, no gays.
The bill has gained 26 additional Republican cosponsors and has been assigned to the Community Revitalization Committee.
The New York City chapter of the Log Cabin Republicans -- the nation’s largest LGBTQ conservative group -- will host a Pride Month event at Trump Tower later this month, despite former President Donald Trump’s refusal to officially recognize June as Pride Month during his administration.
The "Pride Right" party promises a night of "patriotism and Pride," with a list of yet-to-be-announced guest speakers.
Scheduled for Saturday, June 28, from 6 to 8:30 p.m., the soirée will feature an open bar, hors d’oeuvres, and a chance to socialize or network with other LGBTQ conservatives. Tickets cost $175 per person, or $150 for "dues-paying members" of the group.
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