Text of US HR 704 (2021)

IV 117TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. RES. 704 Recognizing the importance of the National Park Service in preserving the legacy of LGBTQ+ people and honoring their contributions to American history through the preservation of historic places and landmarks. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OCTOBER 5, 2021 Mr. SOTO submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources RESOLUTION Recognizing the importance of the National Park Service in preserving the legacy of LGBTQ+ people and hon- oring their contributions to American history through the preservation of historic places and landmarks. Whereas attitudes toward sexuality have changed throughout history and will continue to change; Whereas the term ‘‘LGBTQ+’’ is understood to mean les- bian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning/queer, and other identities; Whereas LGBTQ+ people are found in every State of the Union; Whereas society may never know the true number of LGBTQ+ Americans; VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:18 Oct 05, 2021 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR704.IH HR704 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 2 •HRES 704 IH Whereas diverse sexualities and gender expressions existed in Indigenous cultures, prior to the creation of the Amer- ican colonies; Whereas LGBTQ+ people in the United States have diverse racial, ethnic, cultural, and religious backgrounds; Whereas many influential Americans have contributed to the rich history of the United States, but have had their LGBTQ+ identity erased or unacknowledged, includ- ing— (1) Lieutenant Gotthold Frederick Enslin, a member of the Continental Army under George Washington; (2) Charley Parkhurst, legendary stagecoach driver and important figure of transgender history; (3) Langston Hughes, poet and leader of the Har- lem Renaissance; (4) Edna Thomas, an influential Black actress of the Harlem Renaissance; (5) James Baldwin, novelist and playwright; (6) Eleanor Roosevelt, First Lady of the United States and United Nations spokeswoman; (7) Christine Jorgensen, World War II veteran and actress; and (8) Pauli Murray, American civil rights activist, women’s rights activist, lawyer, Episcopal priest, and au- thor; Whereas the many influential LGBTQ+ Americans in the history of the United States also include— (1) Frank Kameny, veteran and activist; (2) Bayard Rustin, civil rights leader and advisor to Martin Luther King, Jr.; (3) Sally Ride, astronaut and first American woman in space; VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:18 Oct 05, 2021 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR704.IH HR704 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 3 •HRES 704 IH (4) Alfred Kinsey, biologist; (5) Harvey Milk, politician and first openly gay elected official in California; (6) Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, self-pro- claimed drag performers and community activists; (7) Larry Kramer, author and cofounder of ACT UP; (8) Elaine Noble, the first openly LGBTQ+ elected State official; (9) Cleeve Jones, activist, author, and founder of the NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt; (10) Gilbert Baker, creator of the pride flag; (11) We’wha, cultural ambassador for Native Ameri- cans and most famous lhamana on record; (12) Alan Hart, a revolutionary tuberculosis re- searcher; and (13) Audre Lorde, writer, feminist, womanist, librar- ian, and civil rights activist; Whereas this resolution is by no means a comprehensive doc- umentation of all the achievements and contributions of LGBTQ+ people to American history; Whereas LGBTQ+ people in the United States, and all over the world, face obstacles in the struggle for equality; Whereas Executive Order 10450, the 1953 Immigration Act, the ‘‘Employment of Homosexuals and Other Sex Per- verts in Government’’ congressional report, sodomy laws, and the Defense of Marriage Act have contributed to the forced erasure and discrimination of LGBTQ+ Ameri- cans; Whereas organized LGBTQ+ activist groups have advanced civil rights, including— (1) the Society for Human Rights; VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:18 Oct 05, 2021 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR704.IH HR704 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 4 •HRES 704 IH (2) the Mattachine Society; (3) the Daughters of Bilitis; (4) the Gay Liberation Front; (5) the Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries; (6) the Gay American Indians; and (7) the Gay Asian Pacific Alliance; Whereas the determination and resilience of the LGBTQ+ community in the fight for equality has advanced civil rights protections for all Americans, such as— (1) One Inc. v. Olesen (1958), which expanded free speech protections; (2) Lawrence v. Texas (2003), which eliminated sod- omy laws; (3) Obergefell v. Hodges (2015), which guarantees same-sex couples the right to marriage; and (4) Bostock v. Clayton County (2020), which ex- panded title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964; Whereas LGBTQ+ Americans have been involved in revolu- tionary moments in time, including— (1) the Stonewall Riots; (2) the Annual Reminder Day pickets; (3) the first Pride Parade; (4) the Biltmore Invasion; (5) the 1978 Gay Freedom Day Parade in San Francisco, where the first pride flag was flown; (6) the National March on Washington for Gay and Lesbian Rights; and (7) the ACT UP Protest; Whereas various places were essential to the existence and continued livelihood of the LGBTQ+ community, such as— VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:18 Oct 05, 2021 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR704.IH HR704 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 5 •HRES 704 IH (1) the STAR House, which provided housing to homeless LGBTQ+ youth in the 1970s to 1980s; (2) the first Pride Parade Route, which started at Washington Place in New York City in 1970; (3) the Henry Gerber House, which was the meeting spot for the Society for Human Rights; and (4) Castro Camera, Harvey Milk’s photography store, which also served as his campaign headquarters; Whereas the places mentioned are historic and worthy of pre- serving for the benefit of all; Whereas preserving and maintaining historic sites is crucial in telling the stories of the past and allowing citizens of the United States to understand and embrace their herit- age; Whereas preserving LGBTQ+ historic sites contribute to the cultural well-being of the United States as they are phys- ical reminders of America’s commitment to tolerance, ac- ceptance, and equality; Whereas LGBTQ+ Americans have contributed to every as- pect of United States society, including the fine arts, education, business, literature, journalism, sports, fash- ion, politics, government, the military, music, science, medicine, engineering, technology, and other fields in the United States; Whereas only 10 LGBTQ+ historic places are registered with the National Park Service; Whereas LGBTQ+ people share the hopes and aspirations of the people of the United States for peace and prosperity throughout the Western Hemisphere and the rest of the world; and VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:18 Oct 05, 2021 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR704.IH HR704 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 6 •HRES 704 IH Whereas October is recognized as LGBTQ+ History Month: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 1 (1) recognizes the contributions of LGBTQ+ 2 people as a significant part of the history, progress, 3 and heritage of the United States; 4 (2) believes that LGBTQ+ history should be 5 preserved by the National Park Service; 6 (3) encourages the National Park Service to 7 honor the contributions of LGBTQ+ Americans 8 through direct action, including but not limited to— 9 (A) increasing the number of LGBTQ+ 10 sites listed in the National Register of Historic 11 Places; 12 (B) awarding preservation grants from the 13 Historic Preservation Fund to LGBTQ+ his- 14 torical sites; and 15 (C) conducting and sponsoring research in 16 preservation of historic LGBTQ+ sites; and 17 (4) affirms its commitment to celebrating the 18 legacy of LGBTQ+ people. 19 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:18 Oct 05, 2021 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\HR704.IH HR704 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS