Supporting LGBTQ Rights
Adopted at the 87th Annual Meeting in 2019
WHEREAS, The U.S. Conference of Mayors has supported granting the protection of federal hate crimes laws to all citizens, including LGBTQ communities, and adopted its first resolution calling for increased vigilance in preventing hate crimes in 1991, citing statistics compiled by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force; and
WHEREAS, subsequent hates crimes resolutions were adopted by the Conference in 1992 and 1994, designed to strengthen protections for all communities; and
WHEREAS, that The Conference of Mayors, in cooperation with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has awarded nearly $12.6 million in HIV/AIDS prevention grants, and the Conference took the lead in issues affecting gay/bisexual men of color, conducting a national HIV prevention needs assessment as well as 48 local HIV prevention project; and
WHEREAS, mayors have been at the forefront of the battle for marriage equality, employment discrimination protection, and repeal of don't-ask-don't-tell, and have continued this fight by being the first mainstream elected officials organization nationally to call for HIV decriminalization and to oppose right-to-discriminate laws across the country; and
WHEREAS, mayors remain leaders of the LGBTQ equality movement, having organized a historic march in the Boston Pride Parade in June 2018 and launching an LGBT Mayors' Alliance within the U.S. Conference of Mayors; and
WHEREAS, despite tremendous progress, LGBTQ rights remain under assault by federal actions that systematically turn back the clock,
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that The U.S. Conference of Mayors reiterates its support for LGBTQ equality, equal protection and non-discrimination and condemns the systematic actions and policies of the Administration to withdraw civil rights from LGBT Americans, including the expulsion and ban of transgender soldiers from serving in the military; the denial of citizenship status of children born to same-sex couples; the withdrawal of anti-discrimination protections from LGBT employees of federal contractors; guidance supporting right-to-discriminate laws; the denial of visas for same-sex spouses of diplomats; and the withdrawal of critical protections for transgender youth in schools.