Whereas the story of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (referred to in this preamble as LGBTQ) community in the United States is one of courage rising from marginalization, of joy forged in the crucible of injustice, and of progress built by generations who refused to be silent, invisible, or erased;

Whereas LGBTQ individuals live and thrive in every corner of the United States—from Alabama to Alaska, from barrios to boardrooms—bringing with them a diversity of race, religion, ability, origin, political belief, and lived experience that enriches the soul of the United States;

Whereas LGBTQ individuals have made indelible contributions to the ongoing struggle for civil rights and across every sector of society, including education, science, law, public service, the arts, technology, business, helping to shape a more equitable and vibrant United States;

Whereas the persistent failure of Federal and State officials to collect full and accurate data on sexual orientation and gender identity causes tremendous harm to LGBTQ individuals in the United States, who remain largely invisible to the government entities entrusted with ensuring their health, safety, and well-being;

Whereas LGBTQ individuals in the United States serve, and have served, in the United States Army, Coast Guard, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Space Force honorably and with distinction and bravery;

Whereas a decades-long Federal policy, known as the Lavender Scare, that was rooted in the allegation that LGBTQ individuals posed a threat to national security, prevented LGBTQ individuals from entering public service and resulted in the dismissal and intimidation of Federal public servants, including Foreign Service members;

Whereas an estimated number of more than 100,000 brave members of the Armed Forces were discharged from service between the beginning of World War II and 2011 because of their sexual orientation, including the discharge of more than 13,000 members under the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy that was in place between 1994 and 2011;

Whereas transgender people had been able to serve openly in the military since 2016, but were arbitrarily banned from service in 2025;

Whereas LGBTQ individuals in the United States serve, and have served, in positions in the Federal Government and State and local governments, including as members of Congress, Cabinet Secretaries, Governors, mayors, and city council members;

Whereas the demonstrators who protested on June 28, 1969, following a law enforcement raid of the Stonewall Inn, an LGBTQ club in New York City, are pioneers of the LGBTQ movement for equality;

Whereas, throughout much of the history of the United States, same-sex relationships were criminalized in many States, and many LGBTQ individuals in the United States were forced to hide their LGBTQ identities while living in secrecy and fear;

Whereas, on June 26, 2015, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled in Obergefell v. Hodges, 576 U.S. 644 (2015), that same-sex couples have a constitutional right to marry and acknowledged that [n]o union is more profound than marriage, for it embodies the highest ideals of love, fidelity, devotion, sacrifice, and family;

Whereas the HIV epidemic, worsened by government inaction and social stigma, decimated LGBTQ communities—especially among Black and Brown gay men and transgender women—and yet, the community responded not with despair but with determination, launching a global movement for health justice;

Whereas people living with HIV continue to face discrimination in the United States and, in certain States, may be subject to greater criminal punishment than individuals without HIV;

Whereas the LGBTQ community maintains its unwavering commitment to ending the HIV and AIDS epidemic;

Whereas LGBTQ individuals in the United States face disparities in employment, healthcare, education, housing, and many other areas central to the pursuit of happiness in the United States;

Whereas 17 States have no explicit ban on discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in the workplace;

Whereas 19 States have no explicit ban on discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity in housing;

Whereas 22 States have no explicit ban on discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity in public accommodations;

Whereas 30 States have no explicit ban on discrimination against LGBTQ individuals in credit and lending services;

Whereas, as a result of discrimination, LGBTQ youth are at increased risk of—

Whereas LGBTQ youth of color are overrepresented in child welfare and juvenile justice systems;

Whereas the LGBTQ community has faced discrimination, inequality, and violence throughout the history of the United States;

Whereas, at both the State and Federal levels, the LGBTQ community, particularly the transgender community, has been repeatedly targeted by politically motivated legislation and executive actions aimed at restricting their rights, limiting access to essential services, and erasing the visibility and recognition of LGBTQ individuals;

Whereas LGBTQ individuals in the United States, in particular transgender individuals, face a disproportionately high risk of becoming victims of violent hate crimes;

Whereas members of the LGBTQ community have been targeted in acts of mass violence, including—

Whereas LGBTQ individuals face persecution, violence, and death in many parts of the world due to their real or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity;

Whereas, despite recent wins to strike down longstanding criminalization statutes, more than 60 countries criminalize consensual same-sex conduct and more than 10 jurisdictions authorize the use of the death penalty as punishment for this conduct;

Whereas many other countries criminalize gender identity using so-called cross-dressing,impersonation,disguise, or other vague public morality laws;

Whereas, in recent years, several countries have passed legislation or instituted policies that increase criminal penalties or impose other restrictions on the human rights and fundamental freedoms of LGBTQ persons, including in Burkina Faso, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Niger, Russia, Senegal, and Uganda;

Whereas hundreds of individuals around the world are arrested and, in some cases, tortured or even executed because of their actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity in countries and territories such as Cameroon, Chechnya, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Tanzania, Tunisia, and Uzbekistan;

Whereas the global movement for marriage equality continues to gain momentum, with same-sex couples being provided the freedom to marry in thirty-nine countries around the globe, most recently in Thailand, Liechtenstein, and Greece;

Whereas, since June 2019, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Northern Ireland, Switzerland, Chile, Slovenia, Andorra, Cuba, Greece, and Estonia have extended marriage rights to same-sex couples;

Whereas the LGBTQ community holds Pride festivals and marches in some of the most dangerous places in the world, despite threats of violence and arrest;

Whereas, in 2009, President Barack Obama signed the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act (division E of Public Law 111–84; 123 Stat. 2835) into law to protect all individuals in the United States from crimes motivated by their actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity;

Whereas LGBTQ individuals in the United States have fought for equal treatment, dignity, and respect;

Whereas LGBTQ individuals in the United States have achieved significant milestones, ensuring that future generations of LGBTQ individuals in the United States will enjoy a more equal and just society;

Whereas, despite being marginalized throughout the history of the United States, LGBTQ individuals in the United States continue to celebrate their identities, love, and contributions to the United States in various expressions of Pride;

Whereas, in June 2020, in Bostock v. Clayton County, 140 S. Ct. 1731 (2020), the Supreme Court of the United States affirmed that existing civil rights laws prohibit employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, a landmark victory for the LGBTQ community;

Whereas, in December 2022, Congress enacted the Respect for Marriage Act (Public Law 117–228; 136 Stat. 2305), which repealed the discriminatory legal definition of marriage as limited to a relationship between a man and a woman, and the discriminatory definition of a spouse as a person of the opposite sex; and

Whereas LGBTQ individuals in the United States remain determined to pursue full equality, respect, and inclusion for all individuals regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity: Now, therefore, be it