WHEREAS, June is recognized as Pride Month, a month-long celebration of our lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transgender, queer, questioning, and intersex community; and

WHEREAS, Pride Month was born of the Stonewall Uprising on June 28, 1969, when the Stonewall Inn in New York City was raided by police, and LGBTQI+ people fought back and protested; and

WHEREAS, the first Twin Cities Pride Parade was held in Minneapolis, 50 years ago in 1972; and

WHEREAS, in 1993, Minnesota amended its Human Rights Act to prohibit discrimination on the basis of one’s sexual orientation and/or gender identity in employment, housing, education and public accommodations; and

WHEREAS, still to this day, Minnesota’s Human Rights Act remains one of the strongest in the country; and

WHEREAS, the State of Minnesota legalized the freedom to marry for LGBTQI+ couples on August 1, 2013; and

WHEREAS, the rights, dignity and respect of LGBTQI+ youth are under attack, especially youth of color and trans youth, and it is our responsibility to provide support and protection; and

WHEREAS, Hennepin County is committed to being an inclusive and equitable place for all employees to work and all residents to live; and

WHEREAS, the Twin Cities Pride Festival takes place on June 25^th and 26^th in Minneapolis and celebrates the LGBTQI+ community and its allies; therefore

BE IT RESOLVED, that the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners declares June 2022 Pride Month in Hennepin County; recognizes the 2022 Twin Cities Pride Festival; and wishes our employees and residents a safe and happy Pride.