A CEREMONIAL RESOLUTION
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IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
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WHEREAS, the Gay and Lesbian Activists Alliance of Washington, DC (GLAA) was founded in April 1971 to advance the cause of equal rights and social equality for lesbians and gay men living in the District of Columbia through peaceful participation in the political process; and
WHEREAS, GLAA ranks as the oldest continuously active gay and lesbian rights organization in the country; and
WHEREAS, GLAA has long fought to improve relations between the District's gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered communities and the District's public safety agencies, as evidenced by its ongoing leadership in the effort to create better training for all police, fire and EMS employees; and
WHEREAS, GLAA has long struggled for effective public health strategies in the fight against AIDS, as evidenced by its effective leadership in the drive to commit the District government to implementing a unique identifier system that will be sensitive to the privacy concerns of people testing positive for HIV, and insuring that treatments and medicine are available to those in need and GLAA's insistence on an open and transparent accounting of District spending on HIV/AIDS services; and
WHEREAS, GLAA has long been at the forefront of the efforts for better enforcement of the landmark D.C. Human Rights Law of 1977, perhaps the strongest and most comprehensive civil rights law in the nation, as evidenced by GLAA's unrelenting watchdog role in assuring that all anti-discrimination policy statements in the D.C. government reflect the full range of classes protected under the landmark D.C. Human Rights Act of 1977; and
WHEREAS, GLAA has kept the gay and lesbian community of Washington informed about the position of candidates for public office by rating all candidates for Mayor and Council in every election since the establishment of home rule, through a system noted for its fairness and nonpartisanship; and
WHEREAS, GLAA has been an outspoken advocate for gay and lesbian youth, including persuading D.C. Public Schools to implement an effective, enforced anti-harassment policy established to protect all students; and
WHEREAS, GLAA has participated in lobbying efforts against arbitrary federal restrictions on the District's budget aimed at lesbians and gay men, including the Health Care Benefits Expansion Act of 1992, allowing us to finally implement the domestic partnership program; and
WHEREAS, GLAA, at its 32nd Anniversary Reception on April 15, 2003, will present its Distinguished Service Awards to several individuals and organizations who have helped advance the causes and concerns of lesbians and gay men in the District of Columbia, specifically:
- Councilmember Kathy Patterson for her leadership in fighting for an effective, independent Office of Human Rights, strengthening diversity training at the police and fire departments and establishing an effective Office of Citizen Complaint Review;
- The Gay and Lesbian Liaison Unit of the Metropolitan Police Department for improving community-police relations and bringing its specialized focus to investigations of homicides, hate crimes, and police misconduct;
- Karen Armagost for her career as an activist, including working for an inclusive Democratic party and for an end to discrimination against gay men and lesbians in the military;
- The Gay Men's Chorus of Washington, DC for more than two decades of service as cultural ambassadors for the District's gay community here at home, across the nation, and around the world; and
- Bob Summersgill for superb efforts as immediate past President of GLAA to prohibit harassment in District schools and workplaces, open the DC HIV/AIDS Administration to public accountability, and ensure the full rights of transgender and intersex people under the DC Human Rights Act, and for his comprehensive website (www.sodomylaws.org) documenting historic and ongoing efforts to repeal sodomy laws;
BE IT RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this Resolution may be cited as the "Gay and Lesbian Activists Alliance 32nd Anniversary Recognition Resolution of 2003."
Sec. 2. The Council of the District of Columbia salutes GLAA on the occasion of its 32nd Anniversary Reception on April 15, 2003 and thanks its members for their long record of dedicated service that has advanced the welfare not only of the gay and lesbian community but of the entire population of the District of Columbia.
Sec. 3. The resolution shall take effect immediately upon the first date of publication in the District of Columbia Register.