Dallas County Pride
Dallas County Commissioner Theresa Daniel read a Pride proclamation in honor of Pride month. Several leaders of the community were at Commissioners Court to accept the proclamation and thank commissioners for presenting it. Commissioner Mike Cantrell conveniently had a phone call that he had to take so couldn’t be present while there were gay people in the chamber.
Dallas Gay and Lesbian Alliance, GEAR, Resource Center, Hope for Peace and Justice, Cathedral of Hope, Stonewall Democrats and Lambda Legal were represented at the presentation.
Pride Month Resolution:
BE IT REMEMBERED, at a regular meeting of the Commissioners Court of Dallas County, Texas, held on the 9th day of June, 2015, on a motion made by Dr. Theresa M. Daniel, Commissioner of District #1…the following Resolution was adopted:
WHEREAS, 46 years ago this month, on June 27, 1969, the New York City Police Department raided the Stonewall Inn, a bar in the Greenwich Village neighborhood patronized by members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community. The Stonewall Riots that followed that bar raid marked the beginning of the modern LGBT movement that transformed the oppression of people into a catalyst for pride and action; and
WHEREAS, The Stonewall Riots are key to the development of the LGBT movement in not only the United States but also worldwide, and it also led to LGBT Pride Month, where governments and ordinary people alike mark the events of June 1969 while also committing to work for equal justice under the law for LGBT Americans; and
WHEREAS, Dallas County’s LGBT community from youth to senior citizens has the right to feel safe, not be discriminated against and not live with the threat of harassment and persecution; and
WHEREAS, Dallas County leadership and staff have committed to make a LGBT-welcoming county by establishing a Dallas County Sheriff’s Department LGBT liaison, by establishing a LGBT task force in the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office, by ratifying a fully-inclusive employee nondiscrimination policy, and establishing both equal employment partner health benefits as well as family leave. Dallas County remains the first and only county in Texas to have an employee policy health benefits and equivalent family leave in place; and
WHEREAS, Even after an expected U.S. Supreme Court ruling on marriage later this month, there is more work to be done to make sure that equality for all means all aspects of the LGBT community, and Dallas County wishes to be a leader in this quest; and
WHEREAS, The LGBT community has made great strides, however equality, inclusion and acceptance are not yet fully achieved. These values are fundamental to our county’s founding governing principles and are values that we all must practice and teach to future generations.
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Dallas County Commissioners Court does hereby proclaim the month of June 2015 as LGBT Pride Month.
DONE IN OPEN COURT this the 9th day of June, 2015.